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THE DESIRE OF AGES. 









Copyright, 1898, by Pacific Press Publishing Co. 

THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERDS. 


“ Behold, I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people.” 






THE 

DESIRE OF ROES 

“ His name shall he called Immanuel, 

God with us” 


IV/ 


Mrs. ETC. White 


M 

Author of “Patriarchs and Prophets” 

“Great Controversy between Christ and Satan” “Steps to Christ” 
“Thoughts from the Mount of Dlessing” Etc. 


VOLUME I 

r 



PACIEIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY 


Kansas City 


NEW YORK 
1900 


San Erancisco 


u 












6G467 


]l Itm> g a* Coopr«M 

j <'W»f KtitWtD 

• OCT 26 1900 

j f *“ ■** r J 

StO'NO COPT. 

»• 

OtiOiit w vision, 

O CT 29 1900 J 



Entered According to Act of Congress in the year 1900, by 
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHISG COMPANY 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at II ashington 

All Rights Reserved 















TO 

THE GREAT FAMILY 
FOR WHOM OUR ELDER BROTHER 
LIVED AND DIED 

< 3 * 









‘Immortal LoVe, forever full, 

Forever flowing free, 

Forever shared, forever whole, 

A neVer-ebbing sea. 

‘We may not climb the heavenly steeps, 
To bring the Lord Christ down; 

In Vain we search the lowest deeps, 

For Him no depths can drown. 

‘ But Warm, sweet, tender, even yet 
A present help is he; 

And faith has yet its Olivet, 

And love its Galilee. 

‘The healing of the seamless dress 
Is by our beds of pain; 

We touch Him in life’s throng and press, 
And we are whole again.” 


“Through the tender mercy of our God, . . . the Dayspring from on high hath 
visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to 
guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke i: 78, 79. 


PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE. 


I N the hearts of all mankind, of whatever race or station in life, there 
are inexpressible longings for something they do not now possess. 
This longing is implanted in the very constitution of man by a 
merciful God, that man may not be satisfied with his present conditions 
or attainments, whether bad, or good, or better. God desires that the 
human shall seek the best, and find it to the eternal blessing of his soul. 

Satan, by wily scheme and craft, has perverted these longings of the 
human heart. He makes men believe that this desire may be satisfied by 
pleasure, by wealth, by ease, by fame, by power; but those who have 
been thus deceived by him (and they number myriads) find all these 
things pall upon the sense, leaving the soul as barren and unsatisfied 
as before. 

It is God’s design that this longing of the human heart should lead 
to the One who alone is able to satisfy it. The desire is of Him, that 
it may lead to Him, the fulness and fulfilment of that desire. That 
fulness is found in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Eternal God. “For 
it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the 
fulness dwell;” “for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
bodily.” And it is also true that “in Him ye are made full” with 
respect to every desire divinely implanted and normally followed. 

Haggai calls Him “the Desire of All Nations,” and we may well call 
Him “the Desire of All Ages,” even as He is the “King of Ages.” 

It is the purpose of this book to set forth Jesus Christ as the One 
in whom every longing may be satisfied. There is many a “Life of 
Christ” written, excellent books, large funds of information, elaborate 
essays on chronology, and contemporaneous history, customs, and events, 
with much of the teaching and many glimpses of the many-sided life of 
Jesus of Nazareth. Yet it may be truly said, “The half has never 
been told.” 

It is not, however, the purpose of this work to set forth a harmony 
of the Gospels, or even to give in strictly chronological order the impor¬ 
tant events and wonderful lessons of the life of Christ; its purpose is to 
present the love of God as revealed’ in His Son, the divine beauty of 
the life of Christ, of which all may partake, and not to satisfy the 


(vii ) 



publishers’ preface. 


viii 

desires of the merely curious nor the questionings of critics. But even 
as by the attraction of His own goodness of character Jesus drew His 
disciples unto Himself, and by His personal presence, by His sympathetic 
touch and feeling in all their infirmities and needs, and by His constant 
association, transformed their characters from the earthly to the heavenly, 
from the selfish to the sacrificing, from small-hearted ignorance and 
prejudice to large-hearted knowledge and profound love for souls of all 
nations and races, even so it is the purpose of this book so to present 
the blessed Redeemer as to help the reader to come to Him face to face, 
heart to heart, and find in Him, even as did the disciples of old, Jesus 
the Mighty One, who saves “to the uttermost,” and transforms to His 
own divine image all those who come unto God by Him. Yet how 
impossible it is to reveal His life ! It is like attempting to put upon 
canvas the living rainbow; into characters of black and white the 
sweetest music! 

In the following pages the author, a woman of large and deep and 
long experience in the things of God, has set forth new beauties from 
the life of Jesus. She has brought many new gems from the precious 
casket. She opens before the reader undreamed-of riches from this 
infinite treasure-house. New and glorious light flashes forth from many 
a familiar passage, the depth of which the reader supposed he had long 
before fathomed. To state it in brief, Jesus Christ is revealed as the 
Fulness of the Godhead, the infinitely merciful Saviour of sinners, the 
Sun of Righteousness, the merciful High Priest, the Healer of all human 
maladies and diseases, the tender, compassionate Friend, the constant, 
ever-present and helpful Companion, the Prince of the House of David, 
the Shield of His people, the Prince of Peace, the Coming King, the 
Everlasting Father, the culmination and fruition of the desires and hopes 
of all the ages. 

Under the blessing of God this book is given to the world with the 
prayer that the Lord by His Spirit will make the words of this book 
words of life to many souls whose longings and desires are yet unsat¬ 
isfied; that they “may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, 
and the fellowship of His sufferings,” and finally, throughout a blessed 
eternity, at His right hand, share in “that fulness of joy,” and “pleasures 
forevermore,” which will be the ripened fruitage of all those who find in 
Him the all in all, “the Chiefest among ten thousand,” and “the One 
altogether lovely.” ' Publishers. 


CONTENTS 


SECTION I. AN OUTLOOK. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. God with Us.17 

II. The Chosen People.27 

III. The Fulness of the Time.31 

SECTION II. EARLY YEARS. 

IV. Unto You a Saviour.43 

V. The Dedication.50 

VI. We Have Seen His Star.59 

VII. As a Child.68 

VIII. The Passover Visit.75 

IX. Days of Conflict.84 

SECTION III. THE ANOINTED ONE. 

X. The Voice in the Wilderness.97 

XI. The Baptism.109 

XII. The Temptation.114 

XIII. The Victory.124 

XIV. We Have Found the Messias.132 

XV. At the Marriage Feast. 144 

XVI. In His Temple. 154 

XVII. Nicodemus.167 

XVIII. He Must Increase.178 

XIX. At Jacob’s Well.183 

XX. Except Ye See Signs and Wonders.196 

XXI. Bethesda and the Sanhedrim.201 

XXII. Imprisonment and Death of John.214 

SECTION IV. DAYS OF PROMISE. 

XXIII. The Kingdom of God Is at Hand.231 

XXIV. Is Not This the Carpenter’s Son?.236 

XXV. The Call by the Sea.244 

XXVI. At Capernaum.252 

XXVII. Thou Canst Make Me Clean.262 

(ix) 






























X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER PAGE 

XXVIII. Levi-Matthew.272 

XXIX. The Sabbath.281 

XXX. He Ordained Twelve.290 

XXXI. The Sermon on the Mount.298 

XXXII. The Centurion.315 

XXXIII. Who Are My Brethren?.321 

XXXIV. The Invitation.328 

XXXV. Peace, Be Still.333 

XXXVI. The Touch of Faith.342 

XXXVII. The First Evangelists.349 

XXXVIII. Come Rest Awhile.359 

XXXIX. Give Ye Them to Eat.364 

SECTION V. FALLING SHADOWS. 

XL. A Night on the Lake.377 

XLI. The Crisis in Galilee.383 

XLII. Tradition.395 

XLIII. Barriers Broken Down.399 

XLIV. The True Sign.404 

XLV. The Foreshadowing of the Cross.410 

XLVI. He Was Transfigured.419 

XLVII. Ministry.426 

XLVIII. Who Is the Greatest?.432 

SECTION VI. THE REJECTED ONE. 

XLIX. At the Feast of Tabernacles.447 

L. Among Snares.455 

LI. The Light of Life.463 

LII. The Divine Shepherd.476 

LIII. The Last Journey from Galilee.485 

LIV. The Good Samaritan.497 

LV. Not with Outward Show.506 

LVI. Blessing the Children.511 

LVII. One Thing Thou Lackest.518 

LVIII. Lazarus, Come Forth.524 

LIX. Priestly Plottings.537 

SECTION VII. NEARING THE END. 

LX. The Law of the New Kingdom.547 

LXI. Zaccheus.552 

LXII. The Feast at Simon’s House.557 





































CONTENTS. Xi 

CHAPTER PAGE 

LXIII. Thy King Cometh.569 

LXIV. A Doomed People.580 

LXV. The Temple Cleansed Again.589 

LXVI. Controversy.601 

LXVII. Woes on the Pharisees ..610 

LXVIII. In the Outer Court.621 

LXIX. On the Mount of Olives.627 

LXX. The Least of These My Brethren.637 

LXXI. A Servant of Servants.642 

LXXII. In Remembrance of Me.652 

LXXIII. Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled.662 

SECTION VIII. THE CRUCIFIED. 

LXXIV. Gethsemane.685 

LXXV. Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas.698 

LXXVI. Judas.716 

LXXVII. In Pilate’s Judgment Hall.723 

LXXVIII. Calvary. 741 

LXXIX. It Is Finished.758 

SECTION IX. TO THE FATHER’S THRONE. 

LXXX. In Joseph’s Tomb.769 

LXXXI. The Lord Is Risen.779 

LXXXIL Why Weepest Thou?.788 

LXXXIII. The Walk to Emmaus.795 

LXXXIV. Peace Be unto You.802 

LXXXV. By the Sea Once More.809 

LXXXVI. Go Teach All Nations.818 

LXXXVII. To My Father and Your Father.829 


Appendix.837 

Scriptural Index.843 

General Index . 849 

































FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS 


The Announcement to the Shepherds .... 

“Come unto Me”. 

Jaffa. 

Bethlehem. 

Joseph and Mary Searching for a Resting-place 

Mary and the Turtle Doves. 

Baalbek. 

Nazareth. 

The Baptism. 

Camel Market, Jaffa. 

River Jordan. 

Christ and Satan on the Mountain .. 

The Cleansing of the Temple. 

Christ and Nicodemus. 

At Jacob’s Well. 

The Divine Teacher. 

Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. 

The Sermon on the Mount. 

The Life-giver. 

“It Is I; Be Not Afraid”. 

Damascus. 

The Transfiguration. 

The Divine Shepherd. 

Mount of Olives. 

Siloam. 

Bethany. 

Jericho... 

The Good Samaritan. 

Jesus Blessing the Children. 

Christ and the Rich Young Man. 

The Resurrection of Lazarus. 

The Triumphal Entry. 

The Anointing. 

Priests and Rulers Arresting the Procession . 

Jerusalem. 

Valley of Hinnom. 

Mosque of Omar and Surroundings. 

Shechem. 

The Last Supper. 

Modern Gethsemane. 

The Crucifixion. 

In Gethsemane .. 

Jesus Taken by the Soldiers. 

Lane Leading to Herod’s Palace. 

On the Road to Calvary. 

The Ascension. 

The Resurrection. 

Women at the Tomb. 

The Supper at Emmaus. 

By the Seaside. 


. Frontispiece, Vol. I 

.18 

.3i 

.42 

.45 

.53 

.59 

.68 

.9 6 

.102 

.118 

.127 

.. • • 159 

.169 

.185 

.230 

.247 

.303 

.345 

.376 

.416 

.423 

Frontispiece, Vol. 11 

.447 

.470 

.481 

.49 1 

.501 

.513 

.521 

.53i 

.546 

.561 

.573 

.585 

.59 6 

.612 

.647 

.657 

.665 

.684 

.691 

.701 

.736 

.747 

.768 

.783 

.79 1 

.797 

.813 






















































SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGH 

Angels in the Light of the Cross.18 

Angels Receding from the Cross.19 

Mourning by the Waters of Babylon.28 

Wailing of the Mothers of Bethlehem.32 

Looking for a Deliverer.33 

An Olden Prophet. 34 

“The Dying Words of Jacob Filled them with Hope”.35 

A Gloomy Procession.37 

Cedar of Lebanon.38 

The Shining Host over the Plains of Bethlehem.„.47 

Bethlehem. 49 

The Destroying Angel Passing over Egypt.51 

Anna Giving Thanks.55 

Ruins of Herod’s Palace.58 

Wise Men Searching the Prophecies.60 

Inquiring in Jerusalem.61 

“The Shadows of Night were Falling”.63 

The Flight into Egypt.64 

On the Nile.66 

Bridge over Jordan.67 

“His Mother was His First Human Teacher”.70 

Jesus a Student of Nature. 7 1 

Reading in the Synagogue. 73 

Going to the Passover.76 

The First View of Jerusalem. 77 

Observing the Temple Service.78 

Jesus at the Feet of the Rabbis. 79 

A Camp-fire on the Jordan.80 

Joseph and Mary Searching for Jesus. 81 

Rabbis Appealing to Joseph and Mary. 85 

Jesus and His Brothers.87 

Jesus and Young Companions. 9 ° 

“Amid the Trees of the Forest”. 9 1 

Old Arch at Jericho. 9 2 

Zacharias Dumb before the Worshipers. 99 

John in the Wilderness. 101 

The Rainbow of Promise. 102 

A Voice from the Wilderness. I0 5 

On the Jordan. I0 8 

Called to His Life-work. 110 

A Lamb for Sacrifice. XI 3 

With Wild Beasts in the Wilderness. IX 5 

Satan a Student of Prophecy. 116 

Moses Tested. 120 

On a Pinnacle of the Temple. . 

(xiii) 
















































XIV SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PACK 

Penny of the Emperor Tiberias.131 

John and the Rabbis.134 

A King in his Chariot.136 

Philip and Nathanael.140 

Tower of Antonia.143 

“They Have No Wine”.146 

Disciples Confessing Faith in Christ.150 

Drawing Water on the Nile. 153 

Animals for Sacrifice in the Outer Court of the Temple.155 

A Throng in the Temple Courts.156 

The Money-changers.157 

“His Ear Heard Every Cry”.163 

“As Moses Lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness”.174 

Tower of David from without the Wall.. 177 

John and his Disciples.179 

The Palmyra Road.182 

“They Saw Him Silent, Absorbed”.190 

The Well of Samaria.195 

Christ and the Nobleman ..197 

Watching beside the Dying Child ..199 

The Pool of Bethesda. 200 

The Impotent Man at the Pool of Bethesda.202 

The Healed Man Carrying his Bed on the Sabbath Day.205 

Walls of Tiberias.213 

John in Prison.215 

Christ the Healer.217 

Salome.221 

The Damascus Gate.225 

Sychar . 235 

Christ Rejected at Nazareth.239 

Half-shekel of Simon Maccabeus. i . . . 243 

Ruins of Capernaum.251 

A Madman in the Synagogue.255 

Praising God for Deliverance. 257 

Rejoicing outside the House of Peter.259 

Christ in the Starlight.260 

A Leper Approaching Christ.264 

“O that I might Come into His Presence”.267 

Gratitude for Healing.269 

Ruins in the Valley of Shechem.271 

The Call of Levi-Matthew.274 

Jesus Eating with Publicans.275 

“Who hath Made These Things?”.282 

Passing through a Field of Ripening Grain on the Sabbath Day.284 

The Gate of Gold.289 

“He Spent the Entire Night in Prayer”.292 

The Sleeping Disciples.293 

Tower at Bethel.297 

Mount Sinai.308 

Gateway at Damascus.314 

Christ and the Centurion. 316 

Approaching Nain.319 






















































SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS. XV 

PAGE 

“Behold My Mother and My Brethren’’.325 

Near Jericho .327 

Nain, the Plain of Jezreel, and Mount Tabor.332 

Jesus Sleeping in the Storm.335 

“The Storm had Driven the Boats into Close Proximity”.336 

Landing at Gadara.337 

Swine Rushing down a Steep Cliff.538 

Cana of Galilee. ... . .341 

A Messenger Bearing to Jairus the News of his Daughter’s Death.343 

The Touch of Faith.344 

Suburbs of Nazareth.348 

“As Sheep in the Midst of Wolves”.353 

The Pool of Hezekiah.358 

Feeding the Five Thousand.366 

Plowing in Palestine.371 

Christ Refusing to be Made King...379 

Bringing the Sick to Jesus.384 

A Bedouin Encampment. .394 

The Syro-Phenician Woman Coming to Christ.401 

The Healing of a Deaf Man.405 

Laying a Corner-stone.413 

On the Shore of the Dead Sea.4t8 

On the Way to the Mount of Transfiguration.420 

Emmaus. 4 2 5 

Healing a Demoniac. 4 2 9 

On the Banks of the Jordan. 43 1 

The Tribute Money Provided. 434 

Mill on the Waters of Merom.. 442 

The Great Day of the Feast. 449 

Teaching in the Temple. 45 2 

‘ Go, and Sin No More”.461 

Magdala.462 

The Man who was Born Blind. 47 ° 

The Blind Man before the Council. 473 

Joseph’s Tomb. 475 

Marauders Lying in Wait for the Flock. 479 

Tower of David within the Wall.484 

Wheat Market in Nazareth. 49 6 

“Then the Levite Appeared”. 499 

Ruins Near Samaria. 5°5 

The Tomb of Rachel. 5 IG 

An Eastern Gardener... 5*5 

The Tomb of Absalom.. . 

Zaccheus Watching for Jesus. 554 

Road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. 579 

The Withered Fig-tree . ....582 

Stairway of Castle near Caesarea Philippi.588 

Desecraters Driven from the Temple.. 

Children Praising the Saviour.. 

“Show Me a Penny”. 603 

The Lawyer Questioning Jesus.^07 

Mount Tabor. °°9 

2 























































XVI 


SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Christ Teaching in the Temple.611 

The Widow Casting in her Two Mites.615 

Ruins of Jericho. 626 

“What Shall Be the Sign of Thy Coming?”.629 

On the Coast of Tiberias.636 

Pools of Solomon.641 

Joab’s Well.661 

The Moonlight Reveals a Flourishing Grape-vine. 674 

In the Secluded Recesses of Gethsemane.686 

“He Findeth them Asleep”.689 

Soldiers and Rabble Stricken down.695 

Old Olive-tree in Gethsemane.697 

Jesus before Caiaphas.704 

Caiaphas Placing Jesus under Oath.707 

Caiaphas Rending his Robe.708 

Peter Denying his Master..711 

Near Siloam. 7x5 

Judas Throwing down the Pieces of Silver.721 

“Art Thou the King of the Jews?” ..727 

The Decrepit and Maimed Called into Herod’s Court.728 

Pilate Washing his Hands before the People.737 

Via Dolorosa.740 

The Rending of the Veil of the Temple.755 

The Jews’ Wailing-place . . 757 

Fountain at Cana.764 

The Sick and Suffering Seeking Jesus.776 

Soldiers Telling of the Resurrection.781 

Jacob’s Well.787 

Mount Hermon.801 

“The Door is Carefully Unbarred”.803 

“Peace be unto You”.804 

Mill at Bethsaida.808 

Joppa.817 

Pool of Siloam . . 828 

On the Way to Olivet. 831 








































AN OUTLOOK. 


“God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our 
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:6. 




- 















“He passed through them, and 
healed all their sick.*’ Page 241* 







CHAPTER ONE. 


name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us.” 

“The light of the knowledge of the glory of God” is 
seen “in the face of Jesus Christ.” From the days of eternity 
the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was 
“the image of God,” the image of His greatness and majesty, 
“the outshining of His glory.” It was to manifest this glory that He 
came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the 
light of God’s love,— to be “God with us.” Therefore it was prophesied 
of Him, “His name shall be called Immanuel.” 

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men 
and to angels. He was the Word of God, — God’s thought made audible. 
In His prayer for His disciples He says, “I have declared unto them 
Thy name,” — “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in 
goodness and truth,” — “that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me 
may be in them, and I in them.” But not alone for His earth-born 
children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson-book 
of the universe. God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of 

(i?) 













20 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


redeeming love, is the theme into which “angels desire to look,” and 
it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed 
and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and 
their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus 
is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be 
seen, that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth 
and heaven; that the love which “seeketh not her own” has its source 
in the heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested 
the character of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can 
approach unto. 



Angels "find in the cross of Christ their science and their song-” 


In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. 
It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the 
earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned 
the flowers of the field. “His strength setteth fast the mountains.” 
“The sea is His, and He made it .” 1 It was He that filled the earth 
with beauty, and the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and 
air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father’s love. 

Now sin has marred God’s perfect work, yet that handwriting remains. 
Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There 
is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird 
that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers 
to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of 
grass, but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth 

I 

’Ps. 65:6; 95:5. 






GOD WITH US. 


2 I 



that element of life, without which neither man nor animal could live; 
and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and 
leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing 
to the world. The sun sheds its light 
to gladden a thousand worlds. The 
ocean, itself the source of all our 
springs and fountains, receives the 
streams from every land, but takes to 
give. The mists ascending from its 
bosom fall in showers to water the 
earth, that it may bring forth and bud. 

The angels of glory find their joy in 
giving,—giving love and tireless watch- 
care to souls that are fallen and unholy. 

Heavenly beings woo the hearts of 
men; they bring to this dark world light 
from the courts above; by gentle and 
patient ministry they move upon the 
human spirit, to bring the lost into a 
fellowship with Christ which is even 
closer than they themselves can know. 

But turning from all lesser repre¬ 
sentations, we behold God in Jesus. 

Looking unto Jesus we see that it is 
the glory of our God to give. “I do 
nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the 
living Father hath sent Me, and I live 
by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own 
glory,” but the glory of Him that sent 
Me . 1 In these words is set forth the 
great principle which is the law of life 
for the universe. All things Christ 
received from God, but He took to give. 

So in the heavenly courts, in His min¬ 
istry for all created beings: through 

the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it 
returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source 
of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, 
representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life. 

'John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. 


" He deceived angels, • • . and the 
night of Woe settled down upon the 
World.” Page 20. 












22 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


In heaven itself this law was broken. Sin originated in self-seeking. 
Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought 
to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, 
and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, 
attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil 
characteristics lie sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived 
angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the word of 
God, and to distrust His goodness. Because God is a God of justice 
and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to look upon Him as severe and 
unforgiving. Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, 
and the night of woe settled down upon the world. 

The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the 
gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought 
back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could 
not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles 
of God's government; He desires only the service of love; and love 
cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only 
by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character 
must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work 
only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the 
height and depth of the love of God, could make it known. Upon 
the world’s, dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, “with healing 
in His wings .” 1 

The plan for our redemption was not an after-thought, a plan form¬ 
ulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which 
hath been kept in silence through times eternal.”* It was an unfolding 
of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s 
throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of 
Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. 
God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and 
made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love 
for the world, that He covenanted to give His only begotten Son, “that 
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life .” 3 

Lucifer had said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; 

I will be like the Most High .” 4 But Christ, “being in the 
form of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be on an equality 
Avith God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made 
in the likeness of men .” 6 

'Mai. 4:2. 2 Rom. 16:25, R- V. 3 John 3:16. 4 Isa. 14:13, 14. 

5 Phil. 2:6, 7, R. V., margin. 


GOD WITH US. 


23 


This was a voluntary sacrifice. Jesus might have remained at the 
Father’s side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the 
homage of the angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into 
the Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, 
that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing. 

Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of mysterious import was 
heard in heaven, from the throne of God, “Lo, I come.” “Sacrifice 
and offering Thou wouldst not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me. 

Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) 
to do Thy will, O God .” 1 In these words is announced the fulfilment of 
the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about 
to visit our world, and to become incarnate. He says, “A body hast 
Thou prepared Me.” Had He appeared with the glory that was His 
with the bather before the world was, we could not have endured the 
light of His presence. That we might behold it and not be destroyed, 
the manifestation of His glory was shrouded. His divinity was veiled 
with humanity, — the invisible glory in the visible human form. 

This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. 
The burning bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God. 
The symbol chosen for the representation of the Deity was a lowly 
shrub, that seemingly had no attractions. This enshrined the Infinite. 
The all-merciful God shrouded His glory in a most humble type, that 
Moses could look upon it and live. So in the pillar of cloud by day 
and the pillar of fire by night, God communicated with Israel, revealing 
to men His will, and imparting to them His grace. God’s glory was 
subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of finite men 
might behold it. So Christ was to come in “the body of our humilia¬ 
tion ,” 2 “in the likeness of men.” In the eyes of the world He 
possessed no beauty that they should desire Him; yet He was the 
incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His glory was veiled, 
His greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to 
sorrowful, tempted men. 

God commanded Moses for Israel, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, 
that I may dwell among them ,” 3 and He abode in the sanctuary, in the 
midst of His people. Through all their weary wandering in the desert, 
the symbol of His presence was with them. So Christ set up His 
tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment. He pitched His tent 
by the side of the tents of men, that He might dwell among us, and 
make us familiar with His divine character and life. “The Word became 


1 Heb. io: 5-7. 


2 Phil. 3 :21, R. V. 


3 Ex. 25:8. 


2 4 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of 
the only begotten from the Father) full of grace and truth .” 1 

Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted 
with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter 
of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For 
in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, 
every divine attraction presented in the Saviour’s life on earth, we see 
“God with us.” 

Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He 
declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of 
our first parents, with all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon 
the Creator, leading men to look upon God as the author of sin, and 
suffering, and death. Jesus was to unveil this deception. As one of 
us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon 
Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. “In all things 
it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren .” 2 If we had to 
bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan 
would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore 
Jesus was “in all points tempted like as we are .” 3 He endured every 
trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no 
power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met temptation, and 
overcame in the strength given Him from God. He says, “I delight to 
do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart .” 4 As He 
went about doing good, and healing all who were afflicted by Satan, 
He made plain to men the character of God’s law and the nature of 
His service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the 
law of God. 

By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays 
hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an 
example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey. 
It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses 
saying, “I AM THAT I AM. . . . Thus shalt thou say unto the 
children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you .” 5 This was the pledge 
of Israel’s deliverance. So when He came “in the likeness of men,” He 
declared Himself the I AM. The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and 
lowly Saviour, is God “manifest in the flesh .” 6 And to us He says, 
‘“I AM the Good Shepherd.’ ‘I AM the living Bread.’ ‘I AM the 
Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven 

'John 1:14, R. V., margin. 2 Heb. 2:17. 3 Heb. 4 :15. 4 Ps. 40:8. 

5 Ex. 3:14. 6 1 Tim. 3:16. 


GOD WITH US. 


2 5 


and in earth .’ 1 ‘I AM the assurance of every promise.’ ‘I AM; be 
not afraid.’” “God with us” is the surety of our deliverance from sin, 
the assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven. 

In stooping to take upon Himself humanity, Christ revealed a char¬ 
acter the opposite of the character of Satan. But He stepped still lower 
in the path of humiliation. “Being found in fashion as a man, He 
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of 
the cross.”' As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, 
and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ 
took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, 
Himself the victim. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was 
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him .” 3 

Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He 
deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, 
that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no 
share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive 
the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.” 

By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than 
recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s purpose 
to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in 
Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never 
fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity 
by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is 
linked with us. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only 
begotten Son .” 4 He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as 
our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His 
immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only begotten Son to become 
one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is 
the pledge that God will fulfil His word. “Unto us a child is born; 
unto m a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder.” 
God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has 
carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the “Son of man” who 
shares the throne of the universe It is the “Son of man” w r hose name 
shall be called, “Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting 
Father, the Prince of Peace .” 5 The I AM is the Daysman between 
God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who is “holy, 
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” is not ashamed to call us 
brethren . 6 In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are 

’John io: n ; 6:51; 14:6; Matt. 28:18. 2 Phil. 2:8. 3 Isa. 53:5. ‘John 3:16. 

6 Isa. 9:6. 6 Heb. 7:26; 2:11. 


26 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined 
in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love. 

Of His people God says, “They shall be as the stones of a crown, 
lifted up as an ensign upon His land. For how great is His goodness, 
and how great is His beauty !” 1 The exaltation of the redeemed will 
be an eternal testimony to God’s mercy. “In the ages to come,” He 
will “show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us 
through Christ Jesus.” “To the intent that . . . unto the principalities 
and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known . . . the 
manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He 
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord .” 2 

Through Christ’s redeeming work the government of God stands 
justified. The Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. 
Satan’s charges are refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can 
never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through 
eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By love’s self-sacrifice, the 
inhabitants of earth and heaven are bound to their Creator in bonds of 
indissoluble union. 

The work of redemption will be complete. In the place where sin 
abounded, God’s grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very 
field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. 
Our little world, under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious 
creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. 
Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of 
Glory lived and suffered and died, — here, when He shall make all things 
new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, “and He shall dwell with 
them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them 
and be their God.” And through endless ages as the redeemed walk in 
the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift,— 

Immanuel, “God with us.” 


^ech. 9:16, 17. 


2 Eph. 2:7; 3:10, 11, R. V. 



CHAPTER TWO. 


OR more than a thousand years the Jewish people had awaited 
the Saviour’s coming. Upon this event they had rested their 
brightest hopes. In song and prophecy, in temple rite and 
household prayer, they had enshrined His name. And yet 
at His coming, they knew Him not. The Beloved of hqaven 
was to them “as a root out of a dry ground;” He had “no form nor 
comeliness;” and they saw in Him no beauty that they should desire 
Him. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not .” 1 

Yet God had chosen Israel. He had called them to preserve among 
men the knowledge of His law, and of the symbols and prophecies that 
pointed to the Saviour. He desired them to be as wells of salvation to 
the world. What Abraham was in the land of his sojourn, what Joseph 
was in Egypt, and Daniel in the courts of Babylon, the Hebrew people 
were to be among the nations. They were to reveal God to men. 

In the call of Abraham the Lord had said, “ I will bless thee, 
and thou shalt be a blessing, . . . and in thee shall all families of 

the earth be blessed .” 2 The same teaching was repeated through the 
prophets. Even after Israel had been wasted by war and captivity, the 
promise was theirs, “The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many 
people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that 
tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.” 3 Concerning the 
temple at Jerusalem, the Lord declared through Isaiah, “ Mine house 
shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples.” 4 

But the Israelites fixed their hopes upon worldly greatness. Lrom 
the time of their entrance to the land of Canaan, they departed from the 



2 Gen. 12 : 2, 3. 
* Isa. 56: 7, R. V. 


3 Micah 5:7. 
( 27 ) 


1 Isa. 53:2; John 1 : n. 

















28 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



commandments of God, and followed the ways of the heathen. It was 
in vain that God sent them warning by His prophets. In vain they 
suffered the chastisement of heathen oppression. Every reformation was 
followed by deeper apostasy. 

Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose 
through their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of 
obedience, He would have made them “ high above all nations which 
He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor.” “All people 
of the earth,” said Moses, “shall see that thou art called by the name of 
Jehovah; and they shall be afraid of thee.” “The nations which shall 
hear all these statutes” shall say, “Surely this great nation is a wise 
and understand¬ 
ing people .” 1 
But because of 
their unfaithful¬ 
ness, God’s pur¬ 
pose could be 
wrought out 
only through 

continued adversity and humiliation. 

They were brought into subjec¬ 
tion to Babylon, and scattered through 
the lands of the heathen. In afflic¬ 
tion many renewed their faithfulness 
to His covenant. While they hung 
their harps upon the willows, and 

mourned for the holy temple that They hung their harps on the wii- 

lows, and mourned for the holy temple 
was laid waste, the light of truth that was laid waste.” 

shone out through them, and a 

knowledge of God was spread among the nations. The heathen systems of 
sacrifice were a perversion of the system that God had appointed; and 
many a sincere observer of heathen rites learned from the Hebrews the 
meaning of the service divinely ordained, and in faith grasped the promise 
of a Redeemer. 

Many of the exiles suffered persecution. Not a few lost their lives 
because of their refusal to disregard the Sabbath and to observe the 
heathen festivals. As idolaters were roused to crush out the truth, the 
Lord brought His servants face to face with kings and rulers, that they 
and their people might receive the light. Time after time the greatest 
1 Deut. 26 : 19 ; 28 : 10; 4 : 6. 









THE CHOSEN PEOPLE. 


29 


monarchs were led to proclaim the supremacy of the God whom their 
Hebrew captives worshiped. 

By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually cured of 
the worship of graven images. During the centuries that followed, they 
suffered from the oppression of heathen foes, until the conviction became 
fixed that their prosperity depended upon their obedience to the law of 
God. But with too many of the people, obedience was not prompted by 
love. The motive was selfish. They rendered outward service to God 
as the means of attaining to national greatness. They did not become 
the light of the world, but shut themselves away from the world in order 
to escape temptation to idolatry. In the instruction given through Moses, 
God had placed restrictions upon their association with idolaters; but this 
teaching had been misinterpreted. It was intended to prevent them from 
conforming to the practises of the heathen. But it was used to build up 
a wall of separation between Israel and all other nations. The Jews 
looked upon Jerusalem as their heaven, and they were actually jealous 
lest the Lord should show mercy to the Gentiles. 

After the return from Babylon, much attention was given to religious 
instruction. All over the country, synagogues were erected, where the 
law was expounded by the priests and scribes. And schools were estab¬ 
lished, which, together with the arts and sciences, professed to teach the 
principles of righteousness. But these agencies became corrupted. During 
the captivity, many of the people had received heathen ideas and customs, 
and these were brought into their religious service. In many things they 
conformed to the practises of idolaters. 

As they departed from God, the Jews in a great degree lost sight of 
the teaching of the ritual service. That service had been instituted by 
Christ Himself. In every part it was a symbol of Him; and it had been 
full of vitality and spiritual beauty. But the Jews lost the spiritual life 
from their ceremonies, and clung to the dead forms. They trusted to the 
sacrifices and ordinances themselves, instead of resting upon Him to whom 
they pointed. In order to supply the place of that which they had lost, 
the priests and rabbis multiplied requirements of their own; and the more 
rigid they grew, the less of the love of God was manifested. They meas¬ 
ured their holiness by the multitude of their ceremonies, while their hearts 
were filled with pride and hypocrisy. 

With all their minute and burdensome injunctions, it was an impossi¬ 
bility to keep the law. Those who desired to serve God, and who tried to 
observe the rabbinical precepts, toiled under a heavy burden. They could 
find no rest from the accusings of a troubled conscience. Thus Satan 


30 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


worked to discourage the people, to lower their conception of the char¬ 
acter of God, and to bring the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped 
to establish the claim put forth when he rebelled in heaven, — that the 
requirements of God were unjust, and could not be obeyed. Even Israel, 
he declared, did not keep the law. 

While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true 
conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but 
deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a 
conqueror, to break the oppressor’s power, and exalt Israel to universal 
dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour. 

At the time of the birth of Christ the nation was chafing under the 
rule of her foreign masters, and racked with internal strife. The Jews 
had been permitted to maintain the form of a separate government; but 
nothing could disguise the fact that they were under the Roman yoke, 
or reconcile them to the restriction of their power. The Romans claimed 
the right of appointing and removing the high priest, and the office w r as 
often secured by fraud, bribery, and even murder. Thus the priesthood 
became more and more corrupt. Yet the priests still possessed great 
power, and they employed it for selfish and mercenary ends. The people 
were subjected to their merciless demands, and were also heavily taxed by 
the Romans. This state of affairs caused wide-spread discontent. Popular 
outbreaks were frequent. Greed and violence, distrust and spiritual 
apathy, were eating out the very heart of the nation. 

Hatred of the Romans, and national and spiritual pride, led the Jews 
still to adhere rigorously to their forms of worship. The priests tried to 
maintain a reputation for sanctity by scrupulous attention to the ceremonies 
of religion. The people, in their darkness and oppression, and the rulers, 
thirsting for power, longed for the coming of One who would vanquish 
their enemies and restore the kingdom to Israel. They had studied the 
prophecies, but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those 
scriptures that point to the humiliation of Christ’s first advent, and mis¬ 
applied those that speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride 
obscured their vision. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with 
their selfish desires. 




























- 














































































JAFFA 

















GliAPTER THREE. 

HEN the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son 
to redeem them that were under the law, that we 
might receive the adoption of sons.” 1 

The Saviour’s coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam 
and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy 
fulfilment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he 
might be the Deliverer. But the fulfilment of the promise tarried. Those 
who first received it, died without the sight. From the days of Enoch 
the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive 
the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not. The prophecy of 
Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted 
the message. Century after century passed away; the voices of the 
prophets ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel, 
and many were ready to exclaim, “The days are prolonged, and 
every vision faileth.” 2 

But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God s 
purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great 
darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the 
bondage of Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their 
1 Gal. 4 :4, 5. 2 Eze. 12:22. 














32 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


sojourning should be four hundred years. “Afterward,” He said, “shall 
they come out with great substance.” 1 Against that word, all the power 
of Pharaoh’s proud empire battled in vain. On “the selfsame day” 
appointed in the divine promise, “it came to pass that all the hosts of the 
Lord went out from the land of Egypt .” 2 So in heaven’s council the 
hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great 
clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

“When the fulness of the time was come, God 
sent forth His Son.” Providence had directed the 
movements of nations, and the tide of human im¬ 
pulse and influence, until the world was ripe for 
the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were 
united under one government. One language was 
widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as 
the language of literature. From all lands the 
Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to 
the annual feasts. As these returned to the places 
of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the 
world the tidings of the Messiah's coming. 

At this time the systems of heathenism were 
losing their hold upon the people. Men were 
weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a 
religion that could satisfy the heart. While the 
light of truth seemed to have departed from among 
men, there were souls who were looking for light, 
and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow. 
They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living 
God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave. 

As the Jews had departed from God, faith had 
grown dim, and hope had well-nigh ceased to illu¬ 
minate the future. The words of the prophets 
were uncomprehended. To the masses of the 
people, death was a dread mystery; beyond was uncertainty and gloom. 
It was not alone the wailing of the mothers of Bethlehem, but the cry 
from the great heart of humanity, that was borne to the prophet across 
the centuries,—the voice heard in Ramah, “lamentation, and weeping, 
and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be 
comforted, because they are not .” 3 In “the region and shadow of death,” 
men sat unsolaced. With longing eyes they looked for the coming of the 
1 Gen. 15 :14. 2 Ex. 12 : 41. 



3 Matt. 2 : 18. 









THE FULNESS OF THE TIME. 


33 


Deliverer, when the darkness should be dispelled, and the mystery of the 
future should be made plain. 

Outside of the Jewish nation there were men who foretold the* 
appearance of a divine instructor. These men were seeking for truth, 
and to them the Spirit of inspiration was imparted. One after another, 
like stars in the darkened heavens, such teachers had arisen. Their 
words of prophecy had kindled hope in the hearts of thousands of the 
Gentile world. 

For hundreds of years the Scriptures had been translated into the 
Greek language, then widely spoken throughout the Roman empire. The 
Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah’s 



''Men sat unsolaced, and v/ith longing eyes looked for the coming of the 

Deliverer.” 

coming was to some extent shared by the Gentiles. Among those whom 
the Jews styled heathen, were men who had a better understanding of the 
Scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than had the teachers in 
Israel. There were some who hoped for His coming as a deliverer from 
sin. Philosophers endeavored to study into the mystery of the Hebrew 
economy. But the bigotry of the Jews hindered the spread of the 
light. Intent on maintaining the separation between themselves and other 
nations, they were unwilling to impart the knowledge they still possessed 
concerning the symbolic service. The true Interpreter must come. The 
One whom all these types prefigured, must explain their significance. 

Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and 
prophets, God had spoken to the world. Lessons must be given to 
humanity in the language of humanity. The Messenger of the covenant 




34 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


must speak. His voice must be heard in His own temple. Christ must 
come to utter words which should be clearly and definitely understood. 
He, the author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man’s 
utterance, which had made it of no effect. The principles of God’s 
government and the plan of redemption must be clearly defined. The 
lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set before men. 

Among the Jews there were yet steadfast souls, descendants of that 
holy line through whom a knowledge of God had been preserved. These 
still looked for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers. They 

strengthened their faith by dwelling upon 
the assurance given through Moses, “A 
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up 
unto you of your brethren, like unto me; 
Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever 
He shall say unto you .” 1 Again, they 
read how the Lord would anoint One “to 
preach good tidings unto the meek,” “to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim 
liberty to the captives,” and to declare the 
“acceptable year of the Lord .” 2 They 
read how He would “ set judgment in the 
earth,” how the isles should “wait for His 
law,” how the Gentiles should come to His 
light, and kings to the brightness of His 
rising . 3 

The dying words of Jacob filled them 
with hope: “The scepter shall not depart 
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between 
his feet, until Shiloh come .” 1 The wan¬ 
ing power of Israel testified that the Mes¬ 
siah’s coming was at hand. The prophecy 
of Daniel pictured the glory of His reign 
over an empire which should succeed all earthly kingdoms; and, said the 
prophet, “It shall stand forever .” 0 While few understood the nature of 
Christ’s mission, there was a wide-spread expectation of a mighty prince 
who should establish his kingdom in Israel, and who should come as a 
deliverer to the nations. 

The fulness of the time had come. Humanity, becoming more degraded 
through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer. 

1 Acts 3:22. * Isa. 61: i, 2. 3 Isa. 42:4; 60:3. ‘Gen. 49:10. 5 Dan. 2:44. 



“ One after another, like stars 
in the darkened heavens, such 
teachers had arisen.” Page 33. 






THE FULNESS OF THE TIME. 


35 


Satan had been working to make the gulf deep and impassable between 
earth and heaven. By his falsehoods he had emboldened men in sin. It 
was his purpose to wear out the forbearance of God, and to extinguish His 
love for man, so that He would abandon the world to Satanic jurisdiction. 

Satan was seeking to shut out from men a knowledge of God, to turn 
their attention from the temple of God, and to establish his own kingdom. 
His strife for supremacy had seemed to be almost wholly successful. It is 



true that in every generation God had His agencies. Even among the 
heathen there were men through whom Christ was working to uplift the 
people from their sin and degradation. But these men were despised and 
hated. Many of them suffered a violent death. The dark shadow that 
Satan had cast over the world grew deeper and deeper. 

Through heathenism, Satan had for ages turned men away from God; 
but he won his great triumph in perverting the faith of Israel. By 
contemplating and worshiping their own conceptions, the heathen had lost 







36 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


a knowledge of God, and had become more and more corrupt. So it was 
with Israel. The principle that man can save himself by his own works, 
lay at the foundation of every heathen religion; it had now become the 
principle of the Jewish religion. Satan had implanted this principle. 
Wherever it is held, men have no barrier against sin. 

The message of salvation is communicated to men through human 
agencies. But the Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth 
which is eternal life. They had hoarded the living manna, and it had 
turned to corruption. The religion which they tried to shut up to 
themselves became an offense. They robbed God of his glory, and 
defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to 
surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they 
became agents of Satan for its destruction. 

The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the 
truth, had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work 
that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character 
of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very 
priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of 
the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol 
to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as 
actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were 
made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God 
could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system 
must be swept away. 

The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for 
depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, 
looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw 
how men had become victims of Satanic cruelty. He looked with 
compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. 
They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. 
Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession 
toward eternal ruin, — to death in which is no hope of life, toward night 
to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with 
men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling-place of God, 
had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the 
passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the 
indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed 
upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of 
the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the 
prospect upon which the world’s Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for 
Infinite Purity to behold! 


THE FULNESS OF THE TIME. 


37 


Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of- 
religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the 
hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated 
before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. 
A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made 
the world. 

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah 
arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should 
do this, Satan was ready 
to carry out his plan for 
securing to himself the alle¬ 
giance of heavenly beings. 

He had declared that the 
principles of God’s govern¬ 
ment make forgiveness im¬ 
possible. Had the world 
been destroyed, he would 
have claimed that his ac¬ 
cusations were proved true. 

He was ready to cast blame 
upon God, and to spread 
his rebellion to the worlds 
above. But instead of de¬ 
stroying the world, God 
sent His Son to save it. 

Though corruption and de¬ 
fiance might be seen in 
every part of the alien 
province, a way for its re¬ 
covery was provided. At 
the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came 
with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every 
hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Not¬ 
withstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been con¬ 
tinually exhibited. And when the fulness of the time had come, the 
Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace 
that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation 
should be fulfilled. 

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of 
God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his 








38 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been 
ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. 
He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after 
the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His 
own glory. 



EARLY YEARS. 


Bethlehem and Nazareth. 



“He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant.” Isa. 53:2. 




BETHLEHEM 











CHAPTER FOUR. 

HE King of Glory stooped low to take humanity. Rude and 
forbidding were His earthly surroundings. His glory was 
veiled, that the majesty of His outward form might not become 
an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display- 
Riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a 
soul from death; Jesus purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature 
should call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must 
draw those who jwould follow Him. The character of the Messiah had 
long been foretold in prophecy, and He desired men to accept Him upon 
the testimony of the word of God. 

The angels had wondered at the glorious plan of redemption. They 
watched to see how the people of God would receive His Son, clothed in 
the garb of humanity. Angels came to the land of the chosen people. 
Other nations were dealing in fables and worshiping false gods. To the 
land where the glory of God had been revealed, and the light of prophecy 
had shone, the angels came. They came unseen to Jerusalem, to the 
appointed expositors of the Sacred Oracles, and the ministers of God’s 
house. Already to Zacharias the priest, as he ministered before the altar, 
the nearness of Christ’s coming had been announced. Already the fore¬ 
runner was born, his mission attested by miracle and prophecy. The 
This chapter is based on Luke 2:1-20. 

(43 ) 


























44 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


tidings of his birth and the wonderful significance of his mission had 
been spread abroad. Yet Jerusalem was not preparing to welcome her 
Redeemer. 

With amazement the heavenly messengers beheld the indifference of 
that people whom God had called to communicate to the world the light 
of sacred truth. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that 
Christ was to be born of the seed of Abraham and of David’s line; yet 
they knew not that His coming was now at hand. In the temple the 
morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God; 
yet even here was no preparation to receive Him. The priests and teachers 
of the nation knew not that the greatest event of the ages was about 
to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers, and performed 
the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and 
worldly honor they were not prepared for the revelation of the Messiah. 
The same indifference pervaded the land of Israel. Hearts selfish and 
world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven. 
Only a few were longing to behold the Unseen. To these heaven’s 
embassy was sent. 

Angels attend Joseph and Mary as they journey from their home in 
Nazareth to the city of David. The decree of imperial Rome for the 
enrolment of the peoples of her vast dominion, has extended to the dwellers 
among the hills of Galilee. As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne 
of the world’s empire that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so 
Caesar Augustus is made the agent for the fulfilment of God’s purpose in 
bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of the lineage of David, 
and the Son of David must be born in David’s city. Out of Bethlehem, 
said the prophet, “shall He come forth . . . that is to be ruler in Israel; 
whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” 1 But 
in the city of their royal line, Joseph and Mary are unrecognized and 
unhonored. Weary and homeless, they traverse the entire length of the 
narrow street, from the gate of the city to the eastern extremity of the town, 
vainly seeking a resting-place for the night. There is no room for them at 
the crowded inn. In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they 
at last find refuge, and here the Redeemer of the world is born. 

Men know it not, but the tidings fill heaven with rejoicing. With a 
deeper and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are 
drawn to the earth. The whole world is brighter for His presence. Above 
the hills of Bethlehem are gathered an innumerable throng of angels. They 
wait the signal to declare the glad news to the world. Had the leaders in 

1 Micah 5: 2, margin. 



Cupyright, 1898, by Pacific Press Publishing Co. 

(JOSEPH AND MARY SEARCHING FOR A RESTING-PLACE. 


“ Weary and homeless, they traverse the 
entire length 01 the narrow street . n 












UNTO YOU A SAVIOUR. 


47 


Israel been true to their trust, they might have shared the joy of heralding 
the birth of Jesus. But now they are passed by. 

God declares, “ I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods 
upon the dry ground.” “ Unto the upright there ariseth light in the 
darkness.” 1 To those who are seeking for light, and who accept it with 
gladness, the bright rays from the throne of God will shine. 

In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds were 
still keeping watch by night. Through the silent hours they talked 
together of the promised Saviour, and prayed for the coming of the King 
to David’s throne. “ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and 
the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. 
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born 
this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” 



At these words, visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds. 
The Deliverer has come to Israel! Power, exaltation, triumph, are asso¬ 
ciated with His coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize 
their Saviour in poverty and humiliation. “ This shall be a sign unto 
you,” he says; “ye shall find the babe wrapped in Swaddling clothes, 
lying in a manger.” 

The heavenly messenger had quieted their fears. He had told them 
how to find Jesus. With tender regard for their human weakness, he had 
given them time to become accustomed to the divine radiance. Then the 
joy and glory could no longer be hidden. The whole plain was lighted 
up with the bright shining of the hosts of God. Earth was hushed, and 
heaven stooped to listen to the song,— 

“ Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace, good will toward men.-’ 

1 Isa. 44 : 3 ; Ps - 112 =4* 





4 8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


O that to-day the human family could recognize that song! The 
declaration then made, the note then struck, will swell to the close of time, 
and resound to the ends of the earth. When the Sun of Righteousness 
shall arise, with healing in his wings, that song will be re-echoed by the 
voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, saying, “ Alleluia, 
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” 1 

As the angels disappeared, the light faded away, and the shadows of 
night once more fell on the hills of Bethlehem. But the brightest picture 
ever beheld by human eyes remained in the memory of the shepherds. 
“ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into 
heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto 
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath 
made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and 
Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” 

Departing with great joy, they made known the things they had seen 
and heard. “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which 
were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and 
pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying 
and praising God.” 

Heaven and earth are no wider apart to-day than when shepherds 
listened to the angels’ song. Humanity is still as much the object of 
heaven’s solicitude as when common men of common occupations met 
angels at noon-day, and talked with the heavenly messengers in the 
vineyards and the fields. To us in the common walks of life, heaven 
may be very near. Angels from the courts above will attend the steps 

of those who come and go at God’s command. 

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden “the 

depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” 2 We 

marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for 
the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of 
the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. 
Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would 
have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s 
nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus 
accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand 
years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the 
working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in 
the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share 
our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. 

•Rev. 19:6. 2 Rom. 11:33. 


UNl'O YOU A SAVIOUR. 


49 


Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. 
He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him 
who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world 
where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless 
babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to jneet 
life’s peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every 
child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. 

The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into 
the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life’s peril. 
He longs to shield his dear one from Satan’s power, to hold him back 
from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more 
fearful risk, God gave His only begotten Son, that the path of life might 
be made sure for our little ones. “ Herein is love.” Wonder, O heavens! 
and be astonished, O earth! 







CHAPTER FILE. 

BOUT forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary 
took Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, and to 
offer sacrifice. This was according to the Jewish law, and as 
man’s substitute Christ must conform to the law in every 
particular. He had already been subjected to the rite of 
circumcision, as a pledge of His obedience to the law. 

As an offering for the mother, the law required a lamb of the first year 
for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle dove for a sin-offering. 
But the law provided that if the parents were too poor to bring a lamb, a 
pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt-offering, the 
other for a sin-offering, might be accepted. 

The offerings presented to the Lord were to be without blemish. 
These offerings represented Christ, and from this it is evident that Jesus 
Himself was free from physical deformity. He was the “lamb without 
blemish and without spot .” 1 His physical structure was not marred by 
any defect; His body was strong and healthy. And throughout His 
lifetime He lived in conformity to nature’s laws. Physically as well as 
spiritually, He was an example of what God designed all humanity to be 
through obedience to His laws. 

This chapter is based on Luke 2 :21-38. 

(50) 



1 1 Peter 1:19. 



















THE DEDICATION. 


51 


The dedication of the hi st-born had its origin in the earliest times 
God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner. 
This gift was to be acknowledged in every household by the consecration 
of the first-born son. He was to be devoted to the priesthood, as a 
representative of Christ among men. 

In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the dedication of the first-born 
was again commanded. While the children of Israel were in bondage to 
the Egyptians, the Lord directed Moses to go to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 
and say, “Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born; and 
I say unto thee, Let My son go, 




" The destroying angel Was 
bidden to slay the first-born 
of man and beast among the 
Egyptians.” 



that he may serve Me: and if 
thou refuse to let him go, be¬ 
hold, I will slay thy son, even 
thy first-born .” 1 

Moses delivered his message; 
but the proud king’s answer was, 

“Who is the Lord, that I should 
obey His voice to let Israel go? 

I know not the Lord, neither 

will I let Israel go .” 2 The Lord worked for His people 
by signs and wonders, sending terrible judgments upon 
Pharaoh. At length the destroying angel was bidden to 
slay the first-born of man and beast among the Egyptians. 

That the Israelites might be spared, they were directed to 
place upon their door posts the blood of a slain lamb. 

PLvery house was to be marked, that when the angel came 
on his mission of death, he might pass over the homes of 
the Israelites. 

After sending this judgment upon Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, 
“Sanctify unto Me all the first-born . . . both of man and of beast; 

it is Mine;” “for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of 
Egypt, I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: 
Mine shall they be; I am the Lord .” 3 After the tabernacle service was 
established, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi in the place of the first-born 
of all Israel to minister in the sanctuary. But the first-born were still to 
be regarded as the Lord’s, and were to be bought back by a ransom. 

Thus the law for the presentation of the first-born was made partic¬ 
ularly significant. While it was a memorial of the Lord’s wonderful 
deliverance of the children of Israel, it prefigured a greater deliverance, to 
J Ex. 4:22, 23. 2 Ex. 5:2. 3 Ex. 13:2; Num. 3:13. 









52 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


be wrought out by the only begotten Son of God. As the blood sprinkled 
on the door posts had saved the first-born of Israel, so the blood of Christ 
has power to save the world. 

What meaning then was attached to Christ’s presentation. But the 
priest did not see through the veil; he did not read the mystery beyond. 
The presentation of infants was a common scene. Day after day the priest 
received the redemption money as the babes were presented to the Lord. 
Day after day he went through the routine of his work, giving little heed 
to the parents or children, unless he saw some indication of the wealth or 
high rank of the parents. Joseph and Mary were poor; and when they 
came with their child, the priests saw only a man and woman dressed as 
Galileans, and in the humblest garments. There was nothing in their 
appearance to attract attention, and they presented only the offering made 
by the poorer classes. 

The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took 
the child in his arms, and held it up before the altar. After handing it 
back to its mother, he inscribed the name “Jesus” on the roll of the first¬ 
born. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the 
Majesty of Heaven, the King of Glory. The priest did not think that this 
babe was the One of whom Moses had written, “A prophet shall the 
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him 
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you .” 1 He did 
not think that this babe was He whose glory Moses had asked to see. 
But One greater than Moses lay in the priest’s arms; and when he 
enrolled the child's name, he was enrolling the name of One who was the 
foundation of the whole Jewish economy. That name was to be its death 
warrant; for the system of sacrifices and offerings was waxing old; the 
type had almost reached its antitype, the shadow its substance. 

The shekinah had departed from the sanctuary, but in the Child of 
Bethlehem was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This uncon¬ 
scious babe was the promised seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of 
Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace-giver. It was He who 
declared Himself to Moses as the I AM. It was He who in the pillar of 
cloud and of fire, had been the guide of Israel. This was He whom seers 
had long foretold. He was the Desire of all nations, the Root and the 
Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star. The name of that 
helpless little babe, inscribed in the roll of Israel, declaring Him our 
brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the 
redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the ransom 

1 Acts 3 : 22. 



MARY AND THE TURTLE DOVES. 

“ If the parents were too poor to bring a lamb, 
a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons . . . 
might be accepted.” Page 50. 




THE DEDICATION. 


55 


for the sins of the whole world. He was the true “high priest over the 
house of God,” the head of “an unchangeable priesthood,” the intercessor 
at “the right hand of the Majesty on high .” 1 

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In the temple the Son of 
God was dedicated to the w r ork He had come to do. The priest looked 
upon Him as he would upon any other child. But though he neither saw 
nor felt anything unusual, God’s act in giving His Son to the world was 
acknowledged. This occasion did not pass without some recognition of 
Christ. “There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and 
the same man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel; 
and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by 
the Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the 
Lord’s Christ.” 

As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a 
family presenting their first-born son before the 
priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty; but 
Simeon understands the warnings of the Spirit, 
and he is deeply impressed that the infant being 
presented to the Lord is the Consolation of 
Israel, the One he has longed to see. To the 
astonished priest, Simeon appears like a man 
enraptured. The child has been returned to 
Mary, and he takes it in his arms and presents 
it to God, while a joy that he has never before 
felt enters his soul. As he lifts the infant Saviour 
toward heaven, he says, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in 
peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, 
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten 
the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.” 

The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God, and while Joseph 
and Mary stood by, wondering at his words, he blessed them, and said 
unto Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many 
in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against (yea, a sword shall 
pierce through thy own soul also,); that the thoughts of many hearts may 
be revealed.” 

Anna also, a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon s testimony 
concerning Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory 
of God, and she poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted 
to behold Christ the Lord. 



1 Heb. 10:21; 7 = 24; i ; 3 - 





56 


Till-: DESIRE OF AGES. 


These humble worshipers had not studied the prophecies in vain. Kut 
those who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel, though they too had 
before them the precious utterances of prophecy, were not walking in the 
way of the Lord, and their eyes were not open to behold the Light of life. 

So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered, 
are undiscerned, their very occurrence is unnoticed, by religious leaders, 
and worshipers in the house of God. Men acknowledge Christ in history, 
while they turn away from the living Christ. Christ in His word calling 
to self-sacrifice, in the poor and suffering who plead for relief, in the 
righteous cause that involves poverty and toil and reproach, is no more 
readily received to-day than He was eighteen hundred years ago. 

Mary pondered the broad and far-reaching prophecy of Simeon. As 
she looked upon the child in her arms, and recalled the words spoken by 
the shepherds of Bethlehem, she was full of grateful joy and bright hope. 
Simeon's words called to her mind the prophetic utterances of Isaiah: 
“There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch 
shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon 
Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and 
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. . . . And 

righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of 
His reins.” “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; 
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the 
light shined. . . . For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: 
and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be 
called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace .” 1 

Yet Maty did not understand Christ's mission. Simeon had prophesied 
of Him as a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as a glory to Israel. 
Thus the angels had announced the Saviour's birth as tidings of joy to all 
peoples. God was seeking to correct the narrow, Jewish conception of the 
Messiah’s work. He desired men to behold Him, not merely as the 
deliverer of Israel, but as the Redeemer of the world. But many years 
must pass before even the mother of Jesus would understand His mission. 

Maty looked forward to the Messiah’s reign on David’s throne, but she 
saw not the baptism of suffering by which it must be won. Through 
Simeon it is revealed, that the Messiah is to have no unobstructed passage 
through the world. In the words to Mary, “A sword shall pierce through 
thy own soul also,” God in His tender mercy gives to the mother of Jesus 
an intimation of the anguish that already for His sake she had begun 
to bear. 


1 Isa. xi: 1-5; 9: 2 - 6 . 


THE DEDICATION. 


57 


“Behold,” Simeon had said, “this child is set for the fall and rising 
again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.” 
They must fall who would rise again. We must fall upon the Rock and 
be broken, before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned, 
pride must be humbled, if we would know the glory of the spiritual 
kingdom. The Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through 
humiliation. Therefore they would not receive their Redeemer. He was 
a sign that was spoken against. 

“That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” In the light of 
the Saviour’s life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of 
darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppres¬ 
sive, as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His 
creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But 
the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts 
of God toward us are “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” 1 It declares 
that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the 
sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He 
will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of 
His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of 
mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped 
upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those 
He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid 
open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of 
Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him 
that' there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest 
happiness will be found in loving Me. 

At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here 
was their crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and 
bless, and in putting Him to death, Satan manifested the malignity of 
his hatred against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his 
rebellion was to dethrone God, and to destroy Him through whom the 
love of God was shown. 

By the life and the death of Christ, the thoughts of men also are 
brought to view. From the manger to the cross, the life of Jesus was a 
call to self-surrender, and to fellowship in suffering. It unveiled the 
purposes of men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were 
listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to Him. The 
worshipers of self belonged to Satan’s kingdom. In their attitude toward 
Christ, all would show on which side they stood. And thus every one 
passes judgment on himself. 


Jer. 29:11. 


58 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the 
nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its 
real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by 
transgression. Before the vision of Calvary' with its mysterious Victim, 
sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. 
Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what 
their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long¬ 
standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of 
the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence or continuance 
of evil. It will be demonstrated that the divine decrees are not accessory 
to sin. There was no defect in God’s government, no cause for disaffec¬ 
tion. When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal 
and the rebellious will unite in declaring, “Just and true are Thy ways, 
Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy 
name? . . . For Thy judgments are made manifest.” 1 

1 Rev. 15 : 3, 4. 





II a t.. ■ ' $ ^ 

■ 

























































BAALBEK 








CHAPTER SIX. 

W when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of 
Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East 
to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the 
Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to 
worship Him.” 

The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a 
large and influential class, that included men of noble birth, and comprised 
much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were 
many who imposed on the credulity of the people. Others were upright 
men who studied the indications of Providence in nature, and who were 
honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise 
men who came to Jesus. 

The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. 
As these magi studied the starry heavens, and sought to fathom the 
mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. 
Seeking clearer knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures. In 
their own land were treasured prophetic writings that predicted the coming 
of a divine teacher. Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one 
time a prophet of God; by the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity 
of Israel and the appearing of the Messiah; and his prophecies had been 
This chapter is based on Matthew 2. 



(59) 


















6o 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



handed down by tradition from century to century. But in the Old Testa¬ 
ment the Saviour’s advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned 
with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be 
filled with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord. 

The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that 
night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light 
faded, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. It was not a 
fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. 

That star was a distant company of shining 
angels, but of this the wise men were igno¬ 
rant. Yet they were impressed that the star 
was of special import to them. They con¬ 
sulted priests and philosophers, and searched 
the scrolls of the ancient records. The 
prophecy of Balaam had declared, 
“There shall come a star out of Jacob, 
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” 1 
Could this strange star have been sent 
as a harbinger of the Promised One? 
The magi had welcomed the light of 
heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon 
them in brighter rays. Through dreams 
they were instructed to go in search of 
the new-born Prince. 

As by faith Abraham went forth at 
the call of God, “not knowing whither 
he went;” 2 as by faith Israel followed 
the pillar of cloud to the promised land, 
so did these Gentiles go forth to find the 
promised Saviour. The Eastern coun¬ 
try abounded in precious things, and the 
magi did not set out empty-handed. It 
was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to princes or other 
personages of rank, and the richest gifts the land afforded were borne as 
an offering to Him in whom all the families of the earth were to be 
blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the star 
in view; but the travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional 
sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At 
every pause for rest they searched the prophecies; and the conviction 
1 Num. 24:17. 


"At every 
pause for 
rest they searched 
the prophecies.” 


2 Heb. 11: 8. 






\YE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR. 


61 


deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before 
them as an outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy 
Spirit, which was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope. 
The journey, though long, was a happy one to them. 

They have reached the land of Israel, and are descending the Mount 
of Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when lo, the star that has guided them 
all the weary way rests above the temple, and after a season fades from 
their view. With eager steps they press onward, confidently expecting the 
Messiah’s birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries 
are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To their 



"To their amazement they find none Who seem to have a knowledge of the 
new-born King.” 


amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the new-born 
King. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of 
surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt. 

The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and 
their own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathen, 
and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the 
sight of God they stand far higher than do these, his professed worshipers; 
yet they are looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the 
appointed guardians of the Holy Oracles their eager questionings touch 
no chord of sympathy. 

The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem. 
Their strange errand created an excitement among the people, which 
penetrated to the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused 










62 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


at the intimation of a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his 
pathway to the throne. Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people 
over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this 
new prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom. 

Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite 
a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his 
mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior 
cunning. Summoning the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned 
them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of 
the Messiah’s birth. 

This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request 
of strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference 
with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous 
tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. 
With an authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make 
close search, and to declare the birthplace of their expected King. “And 
they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the 
prophet, — 

“ And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, 

Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah; 

For out of thee shall come forth a governor, 

Which shall be shepherd of My people Israel.” 1 

Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of 
wrath and fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, 
and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star 
had appeared, and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of 
Christ. He bade his visitors, “Search diligently for the young child; and 
when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and 
worship Him also.” So saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to 
Bethlehem. 

The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning 
the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels’ visit to 
the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it 
as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, 
and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead 
of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the 
Messiah. “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” they said; 
“for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.” 

Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports 

1 R. V. 


WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR. 


63 


brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would 
place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their 
claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers 
would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It 
could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate 
with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to 
show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all 
Jerusalem. They would not even go to 
Bethlehem to see whether these things were 
so. And they led the people to regard the 
interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. 

Here began the rejection of Christ by the 
priests and rabbis. From this point their 
pride and stubbornness grew into a settled 
hatred of the Saviour. While God was 
opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jew¬ 
ish leaders were closing the door to them¬ 
selves. 

The wise men departed alone from 
Jerusalem. The shadows of night were 
falling as they left the gates, but to their 
great joy they again saw the star, and were 
directed to Bethlehem. They had re¬ 
ceived no such intimation of the lowly 
estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. After the long journey 
they had been disappointed by the indifference of the Jewish leaders, and 
had left Jerusalem less confident than when they entered the city. At 
Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the new-born 
King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus 
was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His 
only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He 
should “raise up the tribes of Jacob,’’ and “restore the preserved of 
Israel;” that He should be “a light to the Gentiles,” and for “salvation 
unto the end of the earth?” 1 

“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with 
Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.” Beneath the 
lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They 
gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their 
gifts, — “gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” What a faith was theirs! 

1 Isa. 49: 6. 



of night Were 
falling-” 



6 4 


THE DESIRE OE AGES. 


It might have been said of the wise men from the East, as afterward of the 
Roman centurion, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” 1 
The wise men had not penetrated Herod’s design toward Jesus. When 
the object of their journey was accomplished, they prepared to return to 
Jerusalem, intending to acquaint him with their success. But in a dream 
they received a divine message to hold no further communication with him. 
Avoiding Jerusalem, they set out for their own country by another route. 



security." 

. In like manner Joseph received warning to flee into Egypt with Mary 
and the child. And the angel said, “Be thou there until I bring thee 
word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.” Joseph 
obeyed without delay, setting out on the journey by night for greater 
security. 

Through the wise men, God had called the attention of the Jewish 
nation to the birth of His Son. Their inquiries in Jerusalem, the popular 
interest excited, and even the jealousy of Herod, which compelled the 

1 Matt. 8 : io. 




WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR. 


65 


attention of the priests and rabbis, directed minds to the prophecies 
concerning the Messiah, and to the great event that had just taken place. 

Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he 
used his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But He who never 
slumbers nor sleeps, was watching over His beloved Son. He who had 
rained manna from heaven for Israel, and had fed Elijah in the time of 
famine, provided in a heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. 
And through the gifts of the magi from a heathen country, the Lord 
supplied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land 
of strangers. 

The magi had been among the first to welcome the Redeemer. Their 
gift was the first that was laid at His feet. And through that gift, what 
privilege of ministry was theirs! The offering from the heart that loves, 
God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If 
we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. 
Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest 
mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved 
us, and gave Himself for us. 

Herod in Jerusalem impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. 
As time passed, and they did not appear, his suspicions were roused. The 
unwillingness of the rabbis to point out the Messiah’s birthplace seemed 
to indicate that they had penetrated his design, and that the magi had 
purposely avoided him. He was maddened at the thought. Craft had 
failed, but there was left the resort to force. He would make an example 
of this child-king. Those haughty Jews should see what they might 
expect in their attempts to place a monarch on the throne. 

Soldiers were at once sent to Bethlehem, with orders to put to death 
all the children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of 
David witnessed those scenes of horror that, six hundred years before, 
had been opened to the prophet. “In Ramah was there a voice heard, 
lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her 
children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." 

This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. If they had 
been walking in faithfulness and humility before God, He would in a signal 
manner have made the wrath of the king harmless to them. But they had 
separated themselves from God by their sins, and had rejected the Holy 
Spirit, which was their only shield. They had not studied the Scriptures 
with a desire to conform to the will of God. They had searched for 
prophecies which could be interpreted to exalt themselves, and to show 
how God despised all other nations. It was their proud boast that the 


66 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Messiah was to come as a king, conquering His enemies, and treading 
down the heathen in His wrath. Thus they had excited the hatred of 
their rulers. Through their misrepresentation of Christ’s mission, Satan 
had purposed to compass the destruction of the Saviour; but instead of 
this, it returned upon their own heads. 

This act of cruelty was one of the last that darkened the reign 
of Herod. Soon after the slaughter of the innocents, he was himself 
compelled to yield to that doom which none can turn aside. He died 
a fearful death. 

Joseph, who was still in Egypt, was now bidden by an angel of God to 
return to the land of Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David’s 



On the Nile. 


throne, Joseph desired to make his home in Bethlehem; but learning that 
Archelaus reigned in Judea in his father’s stead, he feared that the father’s 
designs against Christ might be carried out by the son. Of all the sons 
of Herod, Archelaus most resembled him in character. Already his 
succession to the government had been marked by a tumult in Jerusalem, 
and the slaughter of thousands of Jews by the Roman guards. 

Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety'. He returned to 
Nazareth, his former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, 
“that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall 
be called a Nazarene.” Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, 
but it had a much larger admixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea. 







WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR. 


67 


Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, 
and the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy 
of those in power. 

Such was the Saviour’s reception when He came to the earth. There 
seemed to be no place of rest or safety for the infant Redeemer. God 
could not trust His beloved Son with men, even while carrying forward 
His work for their salvation. He commissioned angels to attend Jesus 
and protect Him till He should accomplish His mission on earth, and die 
by the hands of those whom He came to save. 






CHAPTER SEMEN. 

HE childhood and youth of Jesus were spent in a little mountain 
village. There was no place on earth that would not have 
been honored by His presence. The palaces of kings would 
have been privileged in receiving Him as a guest. But He 
passed by the homes of wealth, the courts of royalty, and 
the renowned seats of learning, to make His home in obscure and despised 
Nazareth. 

Wonderful in its significance is the brief record of His early life: “The 
child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace 
of God was upon Him.” In the sunlight of His Father’s countenance, 
Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” 1 
His mind was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom 
beyond His years. Yet His character was beautiful in its symmetry. 
The powers of mind and body developed gradually, in keeping with the 
laws of childhood. 

As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His 
willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience 
that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice 
This chapter is based on Luke 2 :39, 40. 1 Luke 2 : 52. 

( 68 ) 

















'* He passed by the homes of wealth, the courts of royalty, 
and the renowned seats of learning, to make His home 
in obscure and despised Nazareth.” Page 68. 











AS A CHILD. 69 

integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of 
unselfish courtesy. 

With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding 
of His powers, and beheld the impress of perfection upon His char¬ 
acter. With delight she sought to encourage that bright, receptive mind. 
Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to co-operate with the 
heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who could claim 
only God as His Father. 

From the earliest times the faithful in Israel had given much care 
to the education of the youth. The Lord had directed that even from 
babyhood the children should be taught of His goodness and His great¬ 
ness, especially as revealed in His law, and shown in the history of Israel. 
Song and prayer and lessons from the Scriptures were to be adapted to 
the opening mind. Fathers and mothers were to instruct their children 
that the law of God is an expression of His character, and that as they 
received the principles of the law into the heart, the image of God was 
traced on mind and soul. Much of the teaching was oral; but the youth 
also learned to read the Hebrew writings; and the parchment rolls of the 
Old Testament Scriptures were open to their study. 

In the days of Christ the town or city that did not provide for the 
religious instruction of the young was regarded as under the curse of 
God. Yet the teaching had become formal. Tradition had in a great 
degree supplanted the Scriptures. True education would lead the youth 
to “seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him.” 1 
But the Jewish teachers gave their attention to matters of ceremony. 
The mind was crowded with material that was worthless to the learner, 
and that would not be recognized in the higher school of the courts 
above. The experience which is obtained through a personal acceptance 
of God’s word, had no place in the educational system. Absorbed in 
the round of externals, the students found no quiet hours to spend with 
God. They did not hear His voice speaking to the heart. In their 
search after knowledge, they turned away from the Source of wisdom. 
The great essentials of the service of God w r ere neglected. The principles 
of the law were obscured. That which was regarded as superior educa¬ 
tion, w r as the greatest hindrance to real development. Under the training 
of the rabbis the powers of the youth were repressed. Their minds became 
cramped and narrow. 

The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. 

1 Acts 17: 27. 


5 



70 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



" h is mother 
Was H is first 
human teacher.” 


His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the 
scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. The very words 
which He Himself had spoken to Moses for Israel, He was now taught 

at His mother’s knee. As He advanced from 

.*: . * * childhood to youth, He did not seek the 

" schools of the rabbis. He needed not 

the education to be obtained from 
such sources; for God was His 
instructor. 

The question asked during 
the Saviour’s ministry, “How 
knoweth this man letters, hav¬ 
ing never learned?” 1 does not 
indicate that Jesus was unable 
to read, but merely that He 
had not received a rabbinical 
education. Since He gained 
knowledge as we may do, His 
intimate acquaintance with the 
Scriptures shows how diligently 
His early years were given to 
the study of God’s word. And spread out before Him was the great 
library of God’s created works. He who had made all things studied 
the lessons which His own hand had written in earth and sea and 
sky. Apart from the unholy ways of the world, He gathered stores of 
scientific knowledge from nature. He studied the life of plants and 
animals, and the life of man. From His earliest years He was possessed 
of one purpose; He lived to bless others. For this He found resources 
in nature; new ideas of ways and means flashed into His mind as He 
studied plant life and animal life. Continually He was seeking to draw 
from things seen illustrations by which to present the living oracles of 
God. The parables by which, during His ministry, He loved to teach 
His lessons of truth, show how open His spirit was to the influences of 
nature, and how He had gathered the spiritual teaching from the sur¬ 
roundings of His daily life. 

Thus to Jesus the significance of the word and the works of God 
was unfolded, as He was trying to understand the reason of things. 
Heavenly beings were His attendants, and the culture of holy thoughts 
and communings was His. From the first dawning of intelligence He 
was constantly growing in spiritual grace, and knowledge of truth. 

1 John 7: 15. 



AS A CHILD. 


7 i 



Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become 
acquainted with our Heavenly Father through His word, angels will draw 
near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and 
refined. We shall become more like our Saviour. And as we behold 
the beautiful and grand in nature, our affections go out after God. 
While the spirit is awed, the soul is invigorated by coming in contact 
with the Infinite through His works. Communion with God through 
prayer develops the mental and moral faculties, and the spiritual powers 
strengthen as we cultivate thoughts upon spiritual things. 

The life of Jesus was a life in harmony with God. While He was 
a child, He thought and spoke as a child; but no trace of sin marred 
the image of God within Him. Yet He was not exempt from temptation. 
The inhabitants of Nazareth were proverbial for their wickedness. The 
low estimate in which they were generally held is shown by Nathanael’s 
question, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” 1 Jesus 
was placed where His character would be tested. It was necessary for 
Him to be constantly on guard in order to preserve His purity. He was 
subject to all the conflicts which we have to meet, that He might be 
an example to us in 
childhood, youth, and 
manhood. 

Satan was unwear¬ 
ied in his efforts to 
overcome the Child 
of Nazareth. From 
His earliest years 
Jesus was guarded by 
heavenly angels, yet 
His life was one long 
struggle against the 
powers of darkness. 

That there should be 
upon' the earth one 
life free from the de¬ 
filement of evil, was 
an offense and a per¬ 
plexity to the prince 

of darkness. He left no means untried to ensnare Jesus. No child of 
humanity will ever be called to live a holy life amid so fierce a conflict 
with temptation as was our Saviour. 




“Spread out 
before Him 
Was the 
great library 
of God’s cre¬ 
ated Works.” 


1 John x : 46. 


72 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The parents of Jesus were poor, and dependent upon their daily toil. 
He was familiar with poverty, self-denial, and privation. This experience 
was a safeguard to Him. In His industrious life there were no idle 
moments to invite temptation. No aimless hours opened the way for 
corrupting associations. So far as possible, He closed the door to the 
tempter. Neither gain nor pleasure, applause nor censure, could induce 
Him to consent to a wrong act. He was wise to discern evil, and strong 
to resist it. 

Christ was the only sinless one who ever dwelt on earth; yet for 
nearly thirty years He lived among the wicked inhabitants of Nazareth. 
This fact is a rebuke to those who think themselves dependent upon place, 
fortune, or prosperity, in order to live a blameless life. Temptation, poverty, 
adversity, is the very discipline needed to develop purity and firmness. 

Jesus lived in a peasant’s home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted 
His part in bearing the burdens of the household. He had been the 
Commander of heaven, and angels had delighted to fulfil His word; now 
He was a willing servant, a loving, obedient son. He learned a trade, 
and with His own hands worked in the carpenter’s shop with Joseph. 
In the simple garb of a common laborer He walked the streets of the 
little town, going to and returning from His humble work. He did not 
employ His divine power to lessen His burdens or to lighten His toil. 

As Jesus worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were 
developed. He did not use His physical powers recklessly, but in such 
a way as to keep them in health, that He might do the best work in 
every line. He was not willing to be defective, even in the handling of 
tools. He was perfect as a workman, as He was perfect in character. 
By His own example He taught that it is our duty to be industrious, 
that our work should be performed with exactness and thoroughness, 
and that such labor is honorable. The exercise that teaches the hands 
to be useful, and trains the young to bear their share of life’s burdens, 
gives physical strength, and develops every faculty. All should find 
something to do that will be beneficial to themselves and helpful to 
others. God appointed work as a blessing, and only the diligent worker 
finds the true glory and joy of life. The approval of God rests with 
loving assurance upon children and youth who cheerfully take their 
part in the duties of the household, sharing the burdens of father and 
mother. Such children will go out from the home to be useful members 
of society. 

Throughout His life on earth, Jesus was an earnest and constant 
worker. He expected much; therefore He attempted much. After He 


AS A CHILD. 


73 


had entered on His ministry, He said, “I must work the works of Him 
that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.” 1 
Jesus did not shirk care and responsibility, as do many who profess to be 
His followers. It is because they seek to evade this discipline that so 
many are weak and inefficient. They may possess precious and amiable 
traits, but they are nerveless and almost useless when difficulties are to 
be met or obstacles surmounted. The positiveness and energy, the 
solidity and strength of character manifested in Christ, are to be developed 
in us, through the same discipline that He endured. 

And the grace that He received is for us. 

So long as He lived among men, our Saviour 
shared the lot of the 



poor. He knew by 
experience their cares 
and hardships, and 
He could comfort and 


encourage all 
humble workers. 
Those who have 
a true conception 
of the teaching of 
His life, will never 
feel that a dis¬ 
tinction must be 
made between 
classes, that the 
rich are to be 
honored above 



"Often in the synagogue on the 
Sabbath day he Was called upon to 
read the lesson from the prophets.” 
Page 74 . 


the worthy poor. 

Jesus carried into His labor cheerfulness and tact. It requires much 
patience and spirituality to bring Bible religion into the home life and 
into the workshop, to bear the strain of worldly business, and yet keep 
the eye single to the glory of God. This is where Christ was a helper. 
He was never so full of worldly care as to have no time or thought for 
heavenly things. Often He expressed the gladness of His heart by 
singing psalms and heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth 
heard His voice raised in praise and thanksgiving to God. He held 
communion with heaven in song; and as His companions complained 
of weariness from labor, they were cheered by the sweet melody from 


1 John 9:4. 


74 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


His lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels, and, like incense, 
fill the place with fragrance. The minds of His hearers were carried 
away from their earthly exile, to the heavenly home. 

Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world; and through 
all those secluded years at Nazareth, His life flowed out in currents of 
sympathy and tenderness. The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, 
the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, 
the patient beasts of burden, — all were happier for His presence. He 
whose word of power upheld the worlds, would stoop to relieve a 
wounded bird. There was nothing beneath His notice, nothing to which 
He disdained to minister. 

Thus as He grew in wisdom and stature, Jesus increased in favor 
with God and man. He drew the sympathy of all hearts by showing 
Himself capable of sympathizing with all. The atmosphere of hope and 
courage that surrounded Him made Him a blessing in every home. 
And often in the synagogue on the Sabbath day He was called upon 
to read the lesson from the prophets, and the hearts of the hearers thrilled 
as a new light shone out from the familiar words of the sacred text. 

Yet Jesus shunned display. During all the years of His stay in 
Nazareth, He made no exhibition of His miraculous power. He sought 
no high position and assumed no titles. His quiet and simple life, and 
even the silence of the Scriptures concerning His early years, teach an 
important lesson. The more quiet and simple the life of the child,— 
the more free from artificial excitement, and the more in harmony with 
nature, — the more favorable is it to physical and mental vigor and to 
spiritual strength. 

Jesus is our example. There are many who dwell with interest upon 
the period of His public ministry, while they pass unnoticed the teaching 
of His early years. But it is in His home life that He is the pattern 
for all children and youth. The Saviour condescended to poverty, 
that He might teach how closely we in a humble lot may walk with 
God. He lived to please, honor, and glorify His Father in the common 
things of life. His work began in consecrating the lowly trade of the 
craftsmen who toil for their daily bread. He was doing God’s service 
just as much when laboring at the carpenter’s bench as when working 
miracles for the multitude. And every youth who follows Christ’s 
example of faithfulness and obedience in His lowly home, may claim 
those words spoken of Him by the Father through the Holy Spirit, 
“Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul 
delighteth.” 1 


1 Isa. 42 :1. 



CHAPTER EIGHT. 

MONG the Jews the twelfth year was the dividing line between 
childhood and youth. On completing this year a Hebrew 
boy was called a son of the law, and also a son of God. He 
was given special opportunities for religious instruction, and 
was expected to participate in the sacred feasts and observ¬ 
ances. It was in accordance with this custom that Jesus in His boyhood 
made the Passover visit to Jerusalem. Like all devout Israelites, Joseph 
and Maiy went up every year to attend the Passover; and when Jesus 
had reached the required age, they took Him with them. 

There were three annual feasts, the Passover, the Pentecost, and the 
Feast of Tabernacles, at which all the men of Israel were commanded to 
appear before the Lord at Jerusalem. Of these feasts the Passover was 
the most largely attended. Many were present from all countries where 
the Jews were scattered. From every part of Palestine the worshipers 
came in great numbers. The journey from Galilee occupied several days, 
and the travelers united in large companies for companionship and protec¬ 
tion. The women and aged men rode upon oxen or asses over the steep 
This chapter is based on Luke 2:41-51. 

( 75 ) 









76 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



The observance of the 
Passover began with the 
birth of the Hebrew na¬ 
tion. On the last night of 
their bondage in Egypt, 
when there appeared no token of deliverance, God com¬ 
manded them to prepare for an immediate release. He had 
warned Pharaoh of the final judgment on the Egyptians, and He directed 
the Hebrews to gather their families within their own dwellings. Having 
sprinkled the door posts with the blood of the slain lamb, they were to 
eat the lamb, roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. “And thus 
shall ye eat it,” He said, “with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, 
and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s 


and rocky roads. The stronger men and the youth journeyed on foot 
The time of the Passover corresponded to the close of March or the 
beginning of April, and the whole land was bright with flowers, and glad 
with the song of birds. All along the way were spots memorable in the 
history of Israel, and fathers and mothers recounted to their children the 
wonders that God^ had wrought for His people in ages past. They 

beguiled their journey with song and music, 
and when at last the towers of Jerusalem 
came into view, every voice joined in 
the triumphant strain,— 

“ Our feet shall stand 
Within thy gates, O Jerusalem. . . 
Peace be within thy walls, 

And prosperity within thy palaces.” 1 


Going to the 

Passover. 

“ From every 
part of Palestine the Worship¬ 
ers came in great numbers-’' 


1 Ps. 122 : 2, 7. 




THE PASSOVER VISIT. 


77 



passover.’ 1 At midnight all the first-born of the Egyptians were slain. 
Then the king sent to Israel the message, “Rise up, and get you forth 
from among my people; . . . and go, serve the Lord, as ye have 

said .”' 2 The Hebrews went out from Egypt an independent nation. The 
Lord had commanded that the Passover should be yearly kept. “It 
shall come to pass,” He said, “when your children shall say unto you, 
What mean ye by this service ? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the 
Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel 
when He smote the Egyp¬ 
tians.” Thus from genera¬ 
tion to generation the stoiy 
of this wonderful deliverance 
was to be repeated. 

The Passover was fol¬ 


lowed by the seven days’ feast of 
unleavened bread. On the second 
day of the feast, the first fruits of 
the year’s harvest, a sheaf of barley, was 
presented before the Lord. All the ceremonies of the feast were types 
of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an 
object-lesson of redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep 
in memory. The slain lamb, the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first 
fruits, represented the Saviour. 

With most of the people in the days of Christ, the observance of this 
feast had degenerated into formalism. But what was its significance to the 


every Voice joined in 
a triumphant strain.” 


Son of God! 


Ex. 12 : II. 


2 Ex. 12 : 31. 






78 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw 
the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the 
bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. \\ ith the worshipers He bowed 
in prayer, while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed 
the impressive rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their 
meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own 
life. New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, 
He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His 
mission was opening to the Saviour. 

Rapt in the contemplation of these scenes, He did not remain beside 

His parents. He sought to 
be alone. When the paschal 
services were ended, He still 
lingered in the temple courts; 
and when the worshipers 
departed from Jerusalem, 
He was left behind. 

In this visit to Jerusa¬ 
lem, the parents of Jesus 
wished to bring Him in 
connection with the great 
teachers in Israel. While 
He was obedient in every particu¬ 
lar to the word of God, He did not 
conform to the rabbinical rites and 
usages. Joseph and Mary hoped that He 
might be led to reverence the learned rabbis, 
and give more diligent heed to their require¬ 
ments. But Jesus in the temple had been 
taught by God. That which He had received, 
He began at once to impart. 

At that day an apartment connected with the temple was devoted to 
a sacred school, after the manner of the schools of the prophets. Here 
leading rabbis with their pupils assembled, and hither the child Jesus came. 
Seating Himself at the feet of these grave, learned men, He listened to 
their instruction. As one seeking for wisdom, He questioned these 
teachers in regard to the prophecies, and to events then taking place that 
pointed to the advent of the Messiah. 

Jesus presented Himself as one thirsting for a knowledge of God. His 
questions were suggestive of deep truths which had long been obscured, 



; V. 


He saw the wnite-robed 
priests performing their 
solemn ministry.” 


THE PASSOVER VISIT. 


79 


yet which were vital to the salvation of souls. While showing how narrow 
and superficial was the wisdom of the wise men, every question put before 
them a divine lesson, and placed truth in a new aspect. The rabbis spoke 
of the wonderful elevation wLich the Messiah’s coming w'ould bring to the 
Jewish nation; but Jesus presented the prophecy of Isaiah, and asked them 
the meaning of those scriptures that point to the suffering and death of the 
Lamb of God. 



The doctors turned upon Him with questions, and they were amazed 
at His answers. With the humility of a child He repeated the words of 
Scripture, giving them a depth of meaning that the wise men had not 
conceived of. If followed, the lines of truth He pointed out, would have 
worked a reformation in the religion of the day. A deep interest in 
spiritual things would have been awakened; and when Jesus began His 
ministry, many would have been prepared to receive Him. 

The rabbis knew that Jesus had not been instructed in their schools; 
yet His understanding of the prophecies far exceeded theirs. In this 









8 o 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



"As 

they halted 
for rest, they 
missed the helpful hand 
of their child.” 


thoughtful Galilean boy they discerned great promise. They desired to 
gain Him as a student, that He might become a teacher in Israel. They 

wanted to have charge of His education, 
feeling that a mind so original must be 
brought under their moulding. 

The words of Jesus had moved their 
hearts as they had never before been moved 
by words from human lips. God was seek- 
ing to give light to those leaders in Israel, 
and He used the only means by which they 
could be reached. In their pride they would 
have scorned to admit that they could receive 
instruction from any one. If Jesus had ap¬ 
peared to be trying to teach them, they 
would have disdained to listen. But they 
flattered themselves that they were teaching 
Him, or at least testing His knowledge of 
the Scriptures. The youthful modesty and 
grace of Jesus disarmed their prejudices. 
Unconsciously their minds were opened to 
the word of God, and the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts. 

They could not but see that their expectation in regard to the Messiah 
was not sustained by prophecy; but they would not renounce the theories 
that had flattered their ambition. They would not admit that they had 
misapprehended the Scriptures they claimed to teach. From one to 
another passed the inquiry, How hath this youth knowledge, having 
never learned? The light was shining in darkness; but “the darkness 
apprehended it not .” 1 

Meanwhile Joseph and Mary were in great perplexity and distress. In 
the departure from Jerusalem they had lost sight of Jesus, and they knew 
not that He had tarried behind. The country was then densely populated, 
and the caravans from Galilee were very large. There was much confusion 
as they left the city. On the way the pleasure of traveling with friends 
and acquaintances absorbed their attention, and they did not notice His 
absence till night came on. Then as they halted for rest, they missed the 
helpful hand of their child. Supposing Him to be with their company, 
they had felt no anxiety. Young as He was, they had trusted Him 
implicitly, expecting that when needed, He would be ready to assist them, 
anticipating their wants as He had always done. But now their fears 

1 John i: 5, R. V. 




THE PASSOVER VISIT. 


8 l 


were roused. They searched for Him throughout their company, but 
in vain. Shuddering they remembered how Herod had tried to destroy 
Him in His infancy. Dark forebodings filled their hearts. They bitterly 
reproached themselves. 

Returning to Jerusalem, they pursued their search. The next day, as 
they mingled with the worshipers in the temple, a familiar voice arrested 
their attention. They could not mistake it; no other voice was like His, 
so serious and earnest, yet so full of melody. 

In the school of the rabbis they found Jesus. Rejoiced as they were, 
they could not forget their grief and anxiety. When He was alone with 
them, the mother said, in words that implied a rebuke, “Son, why hast 
Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee 
sorrowing.” 

“How is it that ye sought Me?” answered Jesus. “Wist ye not that 
I must be about My Father’s business?” And 
as they understood not His words, He pointed 
upward. On His face was a light at which they 
wondered. Divinity was flashing through hu¬ 
manity. On finding Him in the temple, they 
had listened to what was passing between Him 
and the rabbis, and they were astonished at His 
questions and answers. His words started a 
train of thought that would never be forgotten, 

And His question to them had a lesson. 

“Wist ye not,” He said, “that I must be about 
My Father’s business?” Jesus was engaged in 
the work that He had come into the world to 
do; but Joseph and Mary had neglected theirs. 

God had shown them high honor in committing 
to them His Son. Holy angels had directed 
the course of Joseph in order to preserve the 
life of Jesus. But for an entire day they had 
lost sight of Him whom they should not have 
forgotten for a moment. And when their anxi¬ 
ety was relieved, they had not censured them¬ 
selves, but had cast the blame upon Him. 

It was natural for the parents of Jesus to 
look upon Him as their own child. He was 
daily with them, His life in many respects was like that of other children, 
and it was difficult for them to realize that He was the Son of God. They 







82 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


were in danger of failing to appreciate the blessing granted them in the 
presence of the world’s Redeemer. The grief of their separation from 
Him, and the gentle reproof which His words conveyed, were designed 
to impress them with the sacredness of their trust. 

In the answer to His mother, Jesus showed for the first time that 
He understood His relation to God. Before His birth the angel had 
said to Mary, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the 
Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His 
father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever .” 1 
These words Mary had pondered in her heart; yet while she believed 
that her child was to be Israel’s Messiah, she did not comprehend His 
mission. Now she did not understand His words; but she knew that He 
had disclaimed kinship to Joseph, and had declared His Sonship to God. 

Jesus did not ignore His relation to His earthly parents. From 
Jerusalem He returned home with them, and aided them in their life of 
toil. He hid in His own heart the mystery of His mission, waiting 
submissively for the appointed time for Him to enter upon His work. 
For eighteen years after He had recognized that He was the Son of God, 
He acknowledged the tie that bound Him to the home at Nazareth, and 
performed the duties of a son, a brother, a friend, and a citizen. 

As His mission had opened to Jesus in the temple, He shrank from 
contact with the multitude. He wished to return from Jerusalem in 
quietness, with those who knew the secret of His life. By the paschal 
service, God was seeking to call His people away from their worldly 
cares, and to remind them of His wonderful work in their deliverance 
from Egypt. In this work He desired them to see a promise of deliver¬ 
ance from sin. As the blood of the slain lamb sheltered the homes of 
Israel, so the blood of Christ was to save their souls; but they could be 
saved through Christ only as by faith they should make His life their own. 
There was virtue in the symbolic service, only as it directed the worshipers 
to Christ as their personal Saviour. God desired that they should be led 
to prayerful study and meditation in regard to Christ’s mission. But as 
the multitudes left Jerusalem, the excitement of travel and social inter¬ 
course too often absorbed their attention, and the service they had witnessed 
was forgotten. The Saviour was not attracted to their company. 

As Joseph and Mary should return from Jerusalem alone with Jesus, 
He hoped to direct their minds to the prophecies of the suffering Saviour. 
Upon Calvary He sought to lighten His mother’s grief. He was thinking 
of her now. Mary was to witness His last agony, and Jesus desired her 

'Luke 1:32, 33. 


THE PASSOVER VISIT. 


83 


to understand His mission, that she might be strengthened to endure, 
when the sword should pierce through her soul. As Jesus had been 
separated from her, and she had sought Him sorrowing three days, so 
when He should be offered up for the sins of the world, He would again 
be lost to her for three days. And as He should come forth from the 
tomb, her sorrow would again be turned to joy. But how much better 
she could have borne the anguish of His death if she had understood 
the scriptures to which He was now trying to turn her thoughts. 

If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation 
and prayer, they would have realized the sacredness of their trust, and 
would not have lost sight of Jesus. By one day’s neglect they lost the 
Saviour; but it cost them three days of anxious search to find Him. So 
with us; by idle talk, evil-speaking, or neglect of prayer, we may in one 
day lose the Saviour’s presence, and it may take many days of sorrowful 
search to find Him, and regain the peace that we have lost. 

In our association with one another, we should take heed lest we forget 
Jesus, and pass along unmindful that He is not with us. When we become 
absorbed in worldly things so that we have no thought for Him in whom 
our hope of eternal life is centered, we separate ourselves from Jesus and 
from the heavenly angels. These holy beings cannot remain where the 
Saviour’s presence is not desired, and His absence is not marked. This is 
why discouragement so often exists among the professed followers of Christ. 

Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted by 
the word of God; but through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and 
prayer, they lose the blessing, and find themselves more destitute than 
before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with 
them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating 
themselves from Jesus, they have shut away the light of His presence. 

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in 
contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, 
and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As 
we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him 
will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more 
deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must 
learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross. 

As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If 
we are Christ’s, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him. We shall love 
to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love, our hearts 
will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His char¬ 
acter, we shall be “changed into the same image from glory to glory.’ 1 

l 2 Cor. 3:18. 



CHAPTER NINE. 

ROM its earliest years the Jewish child was surrounded with the 
requirements of the rabbis. Rigid rules were prescribed for 
every act, down to the smallest details of life. Under the 
synagogue teachers the youth were instructed in the countless 
regulations which as orthodox Israelites they were expected to 
observe. But Jesus did not interest Himself in these matters. From 
childhood He acted independently of the rabbinical laws. The Scriptures 
of the Old Testament were His constant study, and the words, “Thus 
saith the Lord,” were ever upon His lips. 

As the condition of the people began to open to His mind, He saw 
that the requirements of society and the requirements of God were in 
constant collision. Men were departing from the word of God, and 
exalting theories of their own invention. They were observing traditional 
rites that possessed no virtue. Their service was a mere round of 
ceremonies; the sacred truths it was designed to teach, were hidden from 
the worshipers. He saw that in their faithless services they found no 
peace. They did not know the freedom of spirit that would come to them 
by serving God in truth. Jesus had come to teach the meaning of the 
worship of God, and He could not sanction the mingling of human 
requirements with the divine precepts. He did not attack the precepts 

(84) 



or 



















DAYS OF CONFLICT. 85 

practises of the learned teachers; but when reproved for His own simple 
habits, He presented the word of God in justification of His conduct. 

In every gentle and submissive way, Jesus tried to please those with 
whom He came in contact. Because He was so gentle and unobtrusive, 
the scribes and elders supposed that He would be easily influenced by 
their teaching. They urged Him to receive the maxims and traditions 
that had been handed down from the ancient rabbis, but He asked for their 
authority in Holy Writ. He would hear every word that proceeds from 



IIJS. roCA^Tt 


"Failing to convince Him, they sought doseph and Mary.” 


the mouth of God; but He could not obey the inventions of men. Jesus 
seemed to know the Scriptures from beginning to end, and He presented 
them in their true import. The rabbis were ashamed to be instructed by 
a child. They claimed that it was their office to explain the Scriptures, 
and that it was His place to accept their interpretation. They were 
indignant that He should stand in opposition to their word. 

They knew that no authority could be found in Scripture for their 
traditions. They realized that in spiritual understanding Jesus was far in 
advance of them. Yet they were angry because He did not obey their 


6 









86 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


dictates. Failing to convince Him, they sought Joseph and Mary, and 
set before them His course of non-compliance. Thus He suffered rebuke 
and censure. 

At a very early age, Jesus had begun to act for Himself in the 
formation of His character, and not even respect and love for His parents 
could turn Him from obedience to God’s word. “It is written” was 
His reason for every act that varied from the family customs. But the 
influence of the rabbis made His life a bitter one. Even in His youth 
He had to learn the hard lesson of silence and patient endurance. 

His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called, sided with the rabbis. 
They insisted that the traditions must be heeded, as if they were the 
requirements of God. They even regarded the precepts of men more 
highly than the word of God, and they were greatly annoyed at the 
clear penetration of Jesus in distinguishing between the false and the true. 
His strict obedience to the law of God they condemned as stubbornness. 
They were surprised at the knowledge and wisdom He showed in 
answering the rabbis. They knew that He had not received instruction 
from the wise men, yet they could not but see that He was an instructor 
to them. They recognized that His education was of a higher type than 
their own. But they did not discern that He had access to the tree of 
life, a source of knowledge of which they were ignorant. 

Christ was not exclusive, and He had given special offense to the 
Pharisees by departing in this respect from their rigid rules. He found 
the domain of religion fenced in by high walls of seclusion, as too sacred 
a matter for every-day life. These walls of partition He overthrew. In 
His contact with men He did not ask, What is your creed ? To what 
church do you belong? He exercised His helping power in behalf of all 
who needed help. Instead of secluding Himself in a hermit’s cell in 
order to show His heavenly character, He labored earnestly for humanity. 
He inculcated the principle that Bible religion does not consist in the 
mortification of the body. He taught that pure and undefiled religion is 
not meant only for set times and special occasions. At all times and 
in all places He manifested a loving interest in men, and shed about 
Him the light of a cheerful piety. All this was a rebuke to the Pharisees. 
It showed that religion does not consist in selfishness, and that their 
morbid devotion to personal interest was far from being true godliness. 
This had roused their enmity against Jesus, so that they tried to enforce 
His conformity to their regulations. 

Jesus worked to relieve eveiy case of suffering that He saw. He 
had little money to give, but He often denied Himself of food in order 


DAYS OF CONFLICT. 


87 


to relieve those who appeared more needy than He. His brothers felt 
that His influence went far to counteract theirs. He possessed a tact 
which none of them had, or desired to have. When they spoke harshly 
to poor, degraded beings, Jesus sought out these very ones, and spoke to 
them words of encouragement. To those who were in need He would 
give a cup of cold water, and would quietly place His own meal in 
their hands. As He relieved their sufferings, the truths He taught were 



“They threatened and tried to intimidate Him.” 


associated with His acts of mercy, and w r ere thus riveted in the memory. 

All this displeased His brothers. Being older than Jesus, they felt 
that He should be under their dictation. They charged Him with 
thinking Himself superior to them, and reproved Him for setting Himself 
above their teachers, and the priests and rulers of the people. Often 
they threatened and tried to intimidate Him; but He passed on, making 
the Scriptures His guide. 

Jesus loved His brothers, and treated them with unfailing kindness; 
but they were jealous of Him, and manifested the most decided unbelief 
and contempt. They could not understand His conduct. Great contra- 






88 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


dictions presented themselves in Jesus. He was the divine Son of God, 
and yet a helpless child. The Creator of the worlds, the earth was 
His possession, and yet poverty marked His life experience at every 
step. He possessed a dignity and individuality wholly distinct from 
earthly pride and assumption; He did not strive for worldly greatness, 
and in even the lowliest position He was content. This angered His 
brothers. They could not account for His constant serenity under trial 
and deprivation. They did not know that for our sake He had become 
poor, that we “through His poverty might be rich .” 1 They could 
understand the mystery of His mission no more than the friends of 
Job could understand his humiliation and suffering. 

Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers because He was not like 
them. His standard was not their standard. In looking to men they 
had turned away from God, and they had not His power in their lives. 
The forms of religion which they observed, could not transform the 
character. They paid “tithe of mint and anise and cummin,” but omitted 
“the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith .” 2 The 
example of Jesus was to them a continual irritation. He hated but 
one thing in the world, and that was sin. He could not witness a 
wrong act without pain which it was impossible to disguise. Between 
the formalists, whose sanctity of appearance concealed the love of sin, 
and a character in which zeal for God's glory was always paramount, the 
contrast was unmistakable. Because the life of Jesus condemned evil, He 
was opposed, both at home and abroad. His unselfishness and integrity 
were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness were 
termed cowardice. 

Of the bitterness that falls to the lot of humanity, there was no part 
which Christ did not taste. There were those who tried to cast contempt 
upon Him because of His birth, and even in His childhood He had to 
meet their scornful looks and evil whisperings. If He had responded 
by an impatient word or look, if He had conceded to His brothers by 
even one wrong act, He would have failed of being a perfect example. 
Thus He would have failed of carrying out the plan for our redemption. 
Had He even admitted that there could be an excuse for sin, Satan 
would have triumphed, and the world would have been lost. This is 
why the tempter worked to make His life as trying as possible, that 
He might be led to sin. 

But to every temptation He had one answer, “It is written.” He 
rarely rebuked any wrong-doing of His brothers, but He had a word 
l 2 Cor. 8:9. 2 Matt. 23:23. 


DAVS OF CONFLICT. 


89 


from God to speak to them. Often He was accused of cowardice for 
refusing to unite with them in some forbidden act; but His answer was, 
It is written, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from 
evil is understanding.” 1 

There were some who sought His society, feeling at peace in His 
presence; but many avoided Him, because they were rebuked by His 
stainless life. Young companions urged Him to do as they did. He was 
bright and cheerful; they enjoyed His presence, and welcomed His ready 
suggestions; but they were impatient at His scruples, and pronounced 
Him narrow and strait-laced. Jesus answered, It is written, “Wherewithal 
shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according 
to Thy word.” “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not 
sin against Thee.” 2 

Often He was asked, Why are you bent on being so singular, so 
different from us all? It is written, He said, “Blessed are the undefiled 
in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that 
keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They 
also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.” 2 

When questioned why He did not join in the frolics of the youth 
of Nazareth, He said, It is written, “I have rejoiced in the way of Thy 
testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, 
and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes; 
I will not forget Thy word.” 2 

Jesus did not contend for His rights. Often His work was made 
unnecessarily severe because He was willing and uncomplaining. Yet He 
did not fail nor become discouraged. He lived above these difficulties, 
as if in the light of God’s countenance. He did not retaliate when 
roughly used, but bore insult patiently. 

Again and again He was asked, Why do you submit to such despiteful 
usage, even from your brothers? It is written, He said, “My son, 
forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments; for 
length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let 
not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write 
them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good 
understanding in the sight of God and man.’ 3 

From the time when the parents of Jesus found Him in the temple, 
His course of action was a mystery to them. He would not enter into 
controversy, ye-: His example was a constant lesson. He seemeo as 
one who was set apart. His hours of happiness were found when alone 
Hob 28:28. 2 Ps. 119:9, 11, i- 3 , 14-16. 3 Prov. 3:1-4- 


90 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


with nature and with God. Whenever it was His privilege, He turned 
aside from the scene of His labor, to go into the fields, to meditate in 
the green valleys, to hold communion with God on the mountain-side 


or amid the trees of 
the forest. The early 
morning often found 
Him in some secluded 
place, meditating, 
searching the Scrip¬ 
tures, or in prayer. 
From these quiet hours 




He would return 
to His home to 
take up His duties 
again, and to give 
an example of pa¬ 
tient toil. 


The life of Christ 
was marked with 
respect and love 
for His mother. 
Mary believed in 


“Young companions urged Him to do as they did." Page 89 . 


her heart that the holy child born of her was the long-promised Messiah, 
yet she dared not express her faith. Throughout His life on earth she 
was a partaker in His sufferings. She witnessed with sorrow the trials 
brought upon Him in His childhood and youth. By her vindication of 
what she knew to be right in His conduct, she herself was brought into 
trying positions. She looked upon the associations of the home, and 
the mother’s tender watchcare over her children, as of vital importance 
in the formation of character. The sons and daughters of Joseph knew 
this, and by appealing to her anxiety, they tried to correct the practises 
of Jesus according to their standard. 

Mary often remonstrated with Jesus, and urged Him to conform to the 
usages of the rabbis. But He could not be persuaded to change His 
habits of contemplating the works of God and seeking to alleviate the 
suffering of men or even of dumb animals. When the priests and teachers 
required Mary’s aid in controlling Jesus, she was greatly troubled; but 
peace came to her heart as He presented the statements of Scripture 
upholding His practises. 

At times she wavered between Jesus and His brothers, who did 



DAYS OF CONFLICT. 


91 


not believe that He was the Sent of God; but evidence was abundant 
that His was a divine character. She saw Him sacrificing Himself for 
the good of others. His presence brought a purer atmosphere into the 
home, and His life was as leaven working amid the elements of society. 
Harmless and undefiled, He walked among the thoughtless, the rude, 
the uncourteous; amid the unjust publicans, the reckless prodigals, the 
unrighteous Samaritans, the heathen soldiers, the rough peasants, and 
the mixed multitude. He spoke a word of sympathy here and a word 
there, as He saw men weary, yet compelled to bear heavy burdens. He 
shared their burdens, and repeated to them the lessons He had learned 
from nature, of the love, the kindness, the goodness of God. 

He taught all to look upon themselves as endowed with precious 
talents, which if rightly employed would secure for them eternal riches. 
He weeded all vanity from life, and by His own example taught that 
every moment of time is fraught with eternal results; that it is to be 
cherished as a treasure, and to be employed for holy purposes. He 
passed by no human being as worthless, but sought to apply the saving 
remedy to every soul. In whatever company He found Himself, He 
presented a lesson that was appropriate to the time and the circumstances. 
He sought to inspire with hope 
the most rough and unpromis¬ 
ing, setting before them the 
assurance that they might be¬ 
come blameless and harmless, 
attaining such a character as 
would make them manifest as 
the children of God. Often He 
met those who had drifted 
under Satan’s control, and who 
had no power to break from 
his snare. To such a one, 
discouraged, sick, tempted, and 
fallen, Jesus would speak words 
of tenderest pity, words that 
were needed and could be un¬ 
derstood. Others He met who 
were fighting a hand-to-hand 
battle with the adversary of souls. These He encouraged to persevere, 
assuring them that they would win; for angels of God were on their 
side, and would give them the victory. Those whom He thus helped 



“Amid the 
trees of the 
forest.” 


92 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


were convinced that here was One in whom they could trust with perfect 
confidence. He would not betray the secrets they poured into His 
sympathizing ear. 

Jesus was the healer of the body as well as of the soul. He was 
interested in every phase of suffering that came under His notice, and 
to every sufferer He brought relief, His kind words having a soothing 
balm. None could say that He had worked a miracle; but virtue — the 
healing power of love — went out from Him to the sick and distressed. 
Thus in an unobtrusive way He worked for the people from His very 
childhood. And this was why, after His public ministry began, so many 
heard Him gladly. 

Yet through childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus walked alone. 
In His purity and His faithfulness, He trod the wine-press alone, and of 
the people there was none with Him. He carried the awful weight 
of responsibility for the salvation of men. He knew that unless there 
was a decided change in the principles and purposes of the human race, 
all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and none could 
appreciate the weight that rested upon Him. Filled with intense purpose, 
He carried out the design of His life that He Himself should be the 
light of men. 




THE ANOINTED ONE. 


From His Announcement by John the Baptist to the Baptist’s 
Imprisonment. 



“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went 
about doing good.” Acts 10:38. 





L 

1 




T 

1 V, 



Copyright, 1898, by Pacific Press Publishing Co. 


“Jesus bowed in prayer on the 
river bank.” Page in. 


THE BAPTISM. 




CHAPTER TEN. 

ROM among the faithful in Israel, who had long waited for the 
coming of the Messiah, the forerunner of Christ arose. The 
aged priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were “both right¬ 
eous before God;” and in their quiet and holy lives the light 
of faith shone out like a star amid the darkness of those evil 
days. To this godly pair was given the promise of a son, who should “go 
before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.” 

Zacharias dwelt in “the hill country of Judea,” but he had gone up 
to Jerusalem to minister for one week in the temple, a service required 
twice a year from the priests of each course. “And it came to pass, that 
while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 
according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense 
when he went into the temple of the Lord.” 

He was standing before the golden altar in the holy place of the sanc¬ 
tuary. The cloud of incense with the prayers of Israel was ascending 
before God. Suddenly he became conscious of a divine presence. An 
angel of the Lord was “standing on the right side of the altar.” The 
position of the angel was an indication of favor, but Zacharias took no note 
of this. For many years he had prayed for the coming of the Redeemer; 

This chapter is based on Luke i: 5-23, 57-80; 3:1-18; Matt. 3:1-12; Mark 1.1-8. 

(97 ) 



























98 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


now heaven had sent its messenger to announce that these prayers were 
about to be answered; but the mercy of God seemed too great for him to 
credit. He was filled with fear and self-condemnation. 

But he was greeted with the joyful assurance: “Fear not, Zacharias; 
for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and 
thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, 
and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of 
the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be 
filled with the Holy Ghost. . . . And many of the children of Israel 

shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the 
spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people 
prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall 
I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” 

Zacharias well knew how to Abraham in his old age a child was given 
because he believed Him faithful who had promised. But for a moment 
the aged priest turns his thought to the weakness of humanity. He 
forgets that what God has promised, He is able to perform. What a 
contrast between this unbelief, and the sweet, childlike faith of Mary, the 
maiden of Nazareth, whose answer to the angel’s wonderful announcement 
was, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to 
thy word.” 1 

The birth of a son to Zacharias, like the birth of the child of Abraham, 
and that of Mary, was to teach a great spiritual truth, a truth that we are 
slow to learn and ready to forget. In ourselves we are incapable of doing 
any good thing; but that which we cannot do, will be wrought by the 
power of God in every submissive and believing soul. It was through 
faith that the child of promise was given. It is through faith that spiritual 
life is begotten, and we are enabled to do the works of righteousness. 

To the question of Zacharias, the angel said, “I am Gabriel, that 
stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and 
to show thee these glad tidings.” Five hundred years before, Gabriel 
had made known to Daniel the prophetic period which was to extend 
to the coming of Christ. The knowledge that the end of this period 
was near, had moved Zacharias to pray for the Messiah’s advent. Now 
the very messenger through whom the prophecy was given, had come to 
announce its fulfilment. 

The words of the angel, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of 
God,” show that he holds a position of high honor in the heavenly courts. 

1 Luke i: 38. 


THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. 


99 


When he came with a message to Daniel, he said, “There is none that 
holdeth with me in these things, but Michael [Christ] your prince.” 1 
Of Gabriel the Saviour speaks, in the Revelation, saying that “He sent 
and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.” 2 And to John the 
angel declared, “I am a fellow’-servant with thee, and with thy brethren 
the prophets.” 3 Wonderful thought — that the angel who stands next 
in honor to the Son of God, is the one chosen to open the purposes of 
God to sinful men. 

Zacharias had expressed doubt 
of the angel’s words. He was not 
to speak again until they were ful¬ 
filled. “Behold,” said the angel, 

“thou shalt be dumb,- . . until 

the day that these things shall be 
performed, because thou believest 
not my words, which shall be ful¬ 
filled in their season.” It was the 
duty of the priest in this service 
to pray for the pardon of public 
and national sins, and for the com¬ 
ing of the Messiah; but when Zach¬ 
arias attempted to do this, he could 
not utter a word. 

Coming forth to bless the 
people, “he beckoned unto them, 
and remained speechless.” They 
had waited long, and had begun 
to fear, lest he had been cut down 
by the judgment of God. But as 
he came forth from the holy place, his face was shining with the glory 
of God, “and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple.” 
Zacharias communicated to them what he had seen and heard; and “as 
soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his 
own house.” 

Soon after the birth of the promised child, the father’s tongue was 
loosed, “and he spake and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt 
round about them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout 
all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up 
in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be?” All this 
1 Dan. 10:21. 2 Rev. 1:1. 3 Rev. 22:9, R. V. 

LtfC. 











IOO 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


tended to call attention to the Messiah’s coming, for which John was to 
prepare the way. 

The Holy Spirit rested upon Zacharias, and in these beautiful words he 
prophesied of the mission of his son: — 

“Thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; 

For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; 

To give knowledge of salvation unto His people 
By the remission of their sins, 

Through the tender mercy of our God, 

Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; 

To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the 
deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.” Before the birth of John, 
the angel had said, “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall 
drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy 
Ghost.” God had called the son of Zacharias to a great work, the 
greatest ever committed to men. In order to accomplish this work, he 
must have the Lord to work with him. And the Spirit of' God would 
be with him if he heeded the instruction of the angel. 

John was to go forth as Jehovah’s messenger, to bring to men the light 
of God. He must give a new direction to their thoughts. He must 
impress them with the holiness of God’s requirements, and their need of 
His perfect righteousness. Such a messenger must be holy. He must be 
a temple for the indwelling Spirit of God. In order to fulfil his mission, 
he must have a sound physical constitution, and mental and spiritual 
strength. Therefore it would be necessary for him to control the appetites 
and passions. He must be able so to control all his powers that he could 
stand among men as unmoved by surrounding circumstances as the rocks 
and mountains of the wilderness. 

In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury 
and display, had become wide-spread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and 
drinking, were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the 
spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin. John was to 
stand as a reformer. By his abstemious life and plain dress he was to 
rebuke the excesses of his time. Hence the directions given to the parents 
of John, — a lesson of temperance by an angel from the throne of heaven. 

In childhood and youth the character is most impressible. The power 
of self-control should then be acquired. By the fireside and at the family 
board, influences are exerted whose results are as enduring as eternity. 


the voice in the wilderness. 


ioi 


More than any natural endowment, the habits established in early years 
decide whether a man will be victorious or vanquished in the battle of life. 
\ outh is the sowing time. It determines the character of the harvest, for 
this life and for the life to come. 

As a prophet, John was “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the 
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a 
people prepared for the Lord.” In preparing the way for Christ's first 
advent, he was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for 
our Lord’s second coming. The world is 
given 7 to self-indulgence. Errors and fable; 
abound. Satan's snares for destroying soul; 
are multiplied. All who would perfect 
holiness in the fear of God, must learn the 
lessons of temperance and self-control. 

The appetites and passions must be held 
in subjection to the higher powers of the 
mind. This self-discipline is essential to 
that mental strength and spiritual insight 
which will enable us to understand and to 
practise the sacred truths of God’s word. 

For this reason temperance finds its place 
in the work of preparation for Christ’s 
second coming. 

In the natural order of things, the 
son of Zacharias would have been edu¬ 
cated for the priesthood. But the train¬ 
ing of the rabbinical schools would have 
unfitted him for his work. God did not 
send him to the teachers of theology to 
learn how to interpret the Scriptures. He 
called him to the desert, that he might learn 

It was a lonely region where he found his home, in the midst of 
barren hills, wild ravines, and rocky caves. But it was his choice to forego 
the enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilder¬ 
ness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and 
self-denial. Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world, he could here 
stud\- the lessons of nature, of revelation, and of Providence. The words 
of the angel to Zacharias had been often repeated to John by his God¬ 
fearing parents. From childhood his mission had been kept before him, 
and he had accepted the holy trust. To him the solitude of the desert 



“in the midst of barren hills, 
wild ravines, and rocky caves.” 

of nature, and nature’s God. 


102 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


was a welcome escape from society in which suspicion, unbelief, and 
impurity had become well-nigh all-pervading. He distrusted his own 
power to withstand temptation, and shrank from constant contact with sin, 
lest he should lose the sense of its exceeding sinfulness. 

Dedicated to God as a Nazarite from his birth, he made the vow his 
own in a life-long consecration. His dress was that of the ancient 
prophets, a garment of camel’s hair, confined by a leather girdle. He ate 
the “locusts and wild honey” found in the wilderness, and drank the pure 
water from the hills. 

But the life of John was not spent in idleness, in ascetic gloom, or 

in selfish isolation. From time to time 
he went forth to mingle with men; and he 
was ever an interested observer of what 
was passing in the world. From his 
quiet retreat he watched the unfolding of 
events. With vision illuminated by the 
divine Spirit he studied the characters of 
men, that he might understand how to 
reach their hearts with the message of 
heaven. The burden of his mission was 
In solitude, by meditation and prayer, he 
sought to gird up his soul for the life-work before him. 

Although in the wilderness, he was not exempt 
from temptation. So far as possible, he closed every 
avenue by which Satan could enter, yet he was still 
assailed by the tempter. But his spiritual perceptions 
were clear; he had developed strength and decision 
of character, and through the aid of the Holy Spirit 
he was able to detect Satan’s approaches, and to resist 
his power. 

John found in the wilderness his school and his 
sanctuary. Like Moses amid the mountains of Midian, 
he was shut in by God’s presence, and surrounded by 
the evidences of His power. It was not his lot to 
dwell, as did Israel’s great leader, amid the solemn 
majesty of the mountain solitudes; but before him were the heights of 
Moab, beyond Jordan, speaking of Him who had set fast the mountains, 
and girded them with strength. The gloomy and terrible aspect of nature 
in his wilderness home, vividly pictured the condition of Israel. The 
fruitful vineyard of the Lord had become a desolate waste. But above 



“The clouds that 
gathered, dark 
with tempest, 
Were arched by 
the rainbow of 
promise." 


CAMEL MARKET, JAFFA. 





































































'* 




















































THE VOICE IX THE WILDERNESS. 


103 

the desert the heavens bent bright and beautiful. The clouds that gathered, 
dark with tempest, were arched by the rainbow of promise. So above 
Israel’s degradation shone the promised glory of the Messiah’s reign. 
The clouds of wrath were spanned by the rainbow of His covenant-mercy. 

Alone in the silent night he read God’s promise to Abraham of a seed 
numberless as the stars. The light of dawn, gilding the mountains of 
Moab, told of Him who should be as “the light of the morning, when the 
sun riseth, even a morning without clouds.” 1 And in the brightness of 
noontide he saw the splendor of His manifestation, when “the glory of 
the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” 2 

With awed yet exultant spirit he searched in the prophetic scrolls the 
revelations of the Messiah’s coming,—the promised seed that should 
bruise the serpent’s head; Shiloh, “the peace-giver,” who was to appear 
before a king should cease to reign on David’s throne. Now the time had 
come. A Roman ruler sat in the palace upon Mount Zion. By the sure 
word of the Lord, already the Christ was born. 

Isaiah’s rapt portrayals of the Messiah’s glory were his study by day 
and by night,—the Branch from the root of Jesse; a King to reign in 
righteousness, judging “with equity for the meek of the earth;” “a covert 
from the tempest, . . . the shadow of a great rock in a weary land;” 

Israel no longer to be termed “Forsaken,” nor her land “Desolate,” but 
to be called of the Lord, “My Delight,” 3 and her land “Beulah.”* The 
heart of the lonely exile was filled with the glorious vision. 

He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was forgotten. He 
beheld the majesty of holiness, and felt himself to be inefficient and 
unworthy. He was ready to go forth as Heaven’s messenger, unawed by 
the human, because he had looked upon the Divine. He could stand erect 
and fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs, because he had bowed 
low before the King of kings. 

John did not fully understand the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom. 
He looked for Israel to be delivered from her national foes; but the 
coming of a King in righteousness, and the establishment of Israel as a 
holy nation, was the great object of his hope. Thus he believed would be 
accomplished the prophecy given at his birth,— 

“To remember His holy covenant; . . 

That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies 

Might serve Him without fear, 

In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.” 

l 2 Sam. 23:4. 2 Isa. 40:5. 8 Margin. 4 Isa. n =4; 32:2; 62:4. 


104 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins. 
He longed to rouse them to a holier life. The message that God had 
given him to bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy, and 
cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. Before the seed 
of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken 
up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened 
to their danger from the wounds of sin. 

God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers no 
message of peace, to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays 
heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrong-doer, and pierces the soul 
with arrows of conviction. The ministering angels present to him the 
fearful judgments of God to deepen the sense of need, and prompt the cry, 
“What must I do to be saved?” Then the hand that has humbled in the 
dust, lifts up the penitent. The voice that has rebuked sin, and put to 
shame pride and ambition, inquires with tenderest sympathy, “What wilt 
thou that I shall do unto thee?” 

When the ministry of John began, the nation was in a state of excite¬ 
ment and discontent verging on revolution. At the removal of Archelaus, 
Judea had been brought directly under the control of Rome. The tyranny 
and extortion of the Roman governors, and their determined efforts to 
introduce the heathen symbols and customs, kindled revolt, which had 
been quenched in the blood of thousands of the bravest of Israel. All 
this intensified the national hatred against Rome, and increased the longing 
to be freed from her power. 

Amid discord and strife, a voice was heard from the wilderness, a voice 
startling and stern, yet full of hope: “Repent ye; for the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand.” With a new, strange power it moved the people. 
Prophets had foretold the coming of Christ as an event far in the future; 
but here was an announcement that it was at hand. John’s singular 
appearance carried the minds of his hearers back to the ancient seers. In 
his manner and dress he resembled the prophet Elijah. With the spirit 
and power of Elijah he denounced the national corruption, and rebuked 
the prevailing sins. His words were plain, pointed, and convincing. 
Many believed him to be one of the prophets risen from the dead. The 
whole nation was stirred. Multitudes flocked to the wilderness. 

John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, and called the people to 
repentance. As a symbol of cleansing from sin, he baptized them in the 
waters of the Jordan. Thus by a significant object-lesson he declared that 
those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and 
that without purification of heart and life they could have no part in the 
Messiah’s kingdom. 


THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. 


™5 


Princes and rabbis, soldiers, publicans, and peasants came to hear the 
prophet. For a time the solemn warning from God alarmed them. Many 
were brought to repentance, and received baptism. Persons of all ranks 
submitted to the requirement of the Baptist, in order to participate in the 
kingdom he announced. 

Many of the scribes and Pharisees came confessing their sins, and 
asking for baptism. They had exalted themseLves as better than other 



men, and had led the people to 
entertain a high opinion of their 
piety; now the guilty secrets of 
their lives were unveiled. But 
John was impressed by the Holy Spirit that many of these men had no 
real conviction of sin. They were time-servers. As friends of the 
prophet, they hoped to find favor with the coming Prince. And by 
receiving baptism at the hands of this popular young teacher, they 
thought to strengthen their influence with the people. 

John met them with the scathing inquiry, “O generation of vipers, who 
hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth therefore 
fruits meet for repentance; and think not to say within yourselves, We 


"Amid discord and 
strife, a Voice vVas 
heard from the wil¬ 
derness.” 



io6 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these 
stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” 

The Jews had misinterpreted God’s promise of eternal favor to Israel: 
‘‘Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the 
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth 
the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If 
those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of 
Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus saith 
the Lord: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the 
earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all 
that they have done, saith the Lord .” 1 The Jews regarded their natural 
descent from Abraham as giving them a claim to this promise. But they 
overlooked the conditions which God had specified. Before giving the 
promise, He had said, “ I will put My law in their inward parts, and 
write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My 
people. . . . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember 
their sin no more .” 2 

To a people in whose hearts His law is written, the favor of God is 
assured. They are one with Him. But the Jews had separated themselves 
from God. Because of their sins they were suffering under His judgments. 
This was the cause of their bondage to a heathen nation. Their minds 
were darkened by transgression, and because in times past the Lord had 
shown them so great favor, they excused their sins. They flattered them¬ 
selves that they were better than other men, and entitled to His blessings. 

These things “are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends 
of the world are come .” 3 How often we misinterpret God’s blessings, 
and flatter ourselves that we are favored on account of some goodness 
in us. God cannot do for us that which He longs to do. His gifts are 
used to increase our self-satisfaction, and to harden our hearts in unbelief 
and sin. 

John declared to the teachers of Israel that their pride, selfishness, and 
cruelty showed them to be a generation of vipers, a deadly curse to the 
people, rather than the children of just and obedient Abraham. In view 
of the light they had received from God, they were even worse than the 
heathen, to whom they felt so much superior. They had forgotten the 
rock whence they were hewn, and the hole of the pit from which they 
had been digged. God was not dependent upon them for the fulfilling of 
His purpose. As He had called Abraham out from a heathen people, so 
He could call others to His service. Their hearts might now appear as 
1 Jer- 31:35-37- 2 Jer. 31:33, 34. 


3 1 Cor. 10:11. 


THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. 


107 


lifeless as the stones of the desert, but His Spirit could quicken them 
to do His will, and receive the fulfilment of His promise. 

“And now also,” said the prophet, “the ax is laid unto the root of the 
trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn 
down, and cast into the fire.” Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the 
value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot 
save the tree from destruction. John declared to the Jews that their 
standing before God was to be decided by their character and life. Profes¬ 
sion was worthless. If their life and character were not in harmony with 
God’s law, they were not His people. 

Under his heart-searching words, his hearers were convicted. They 
came to him with the inquiry, “What shall we do then?” He answered, 
“He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he 
that hath meat, let him do likewise.” And he warned the publicans 
against injustice, and the soldiers against violence. 

All who became the subjects of Christ’s kingdom, he said, would give 
evidence of faith and repentance. Kindness, honesty, and fidelity would 
be seen in their lives. They would minister to the needy, and bring their 
offerings to God. They would shield the defenseless, and give an example 
of virtue and compassion. So the followers of Christ will give evidence 
of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. In the daily life, justice, 
mercy, and the love of God, will be seen. Otherwise they are like the 
chaff, that is given to the fire. 

“I indeed baptize you in 1 water unto repentance,” said John; “but He 
that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire .” 2 The 
prophet Isaiah had declared that the Lord would cleanse His people from 
their iniquities “by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.” 
The word of the Lord to Israel was, “I will turn My hand upon thee, 
and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin .” 3 To sin, 
wherever found, “our God is a consuming fire .” 4 In all who submit to 
His power, the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, 
they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys 
sin, must destroy them. Jacob, after his night of wrestling with the angel, 
exclaimed, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved .” 3 
Jacob had been guilty of a great sin in his conduct toward Esau; but 
he had repented. His transgression had been forgiven, and his sin 
purged; therefore he could endure the revelation of God’s presence. 
But wherever men came before God while wilfully cherishing evil, they 
1 Margin. 2 R. V. 3 Isa. 4 :4; 1: 25. 4 Heb. 12: 29. 5 Gen. 32 :30. 


io8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


were destroyed. At the second advent of Christ the wicked shall be 
consumed “with the Spirit of His mouth,” and destroyed “with the 
brightness of His coming .” 1 The light of the glory of God, which 
imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked. 

In the time of John the Baptist, Christ was about to appear as the 
revealer of the character of God. His very presence would make manifest 
to men their sin. Only as they were willing to be purged from sin could 
they enter into fellowship with Him. Only the pure in heart could abide 
in His presence. 

Thus the Baptist declared God’s message to Israel. Many gave heed 
to his instruction. Many sacrificed all, in order to obey. Multitudes 
followed this new teacher from place to place, and not a few cherished the 
hope that he might be the Messiah. But as John saw the people turning 
to him, he sought every opportunity of directing their faith to Him who 
was to come. 

1 2 Thess. 2 :8. 














\ 


CHAPTER ELEl/EN. 

IDINGS of the wilderness prophet, and his wonderful announce¬ 
ment, spread throughout Galilee. The message reached the 
peasants in the remotest hill-towns, and the fisher folk by the 
sea, and in these simple, earnest hearts found its truest 
response. In Nazareth it was told in the carpenter shop that 
had been Joseph’s, and One recognized the call. His time had come. 
Turning from His daily toil, He bade farewell to His mother, and followed 
in the steps of His countrymen who were flocking to the Jordan. 

Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the 
circumstances of their birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with 
each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that 
of John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings, 
they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each 
other. Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the 
charge that they had conspired together to support each other's claims. 

John was acquainted with the events that had marked the birth of 
Jesus. He had heard of the visit to Jerusalem in His boyhood, and 
of what had passed in the school of the rabbis. He knew of His sinless 
life, and believed Him to be the Messiah; but of this he had no positive 
This chapter is based on Matt. 3: 13-17; Mark 1: 9—1 t; Luke 3 : 21, 22. 

( 109) 




















I IO 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


assurance. The fact that Jesus had for so many years remained in 
obscurity, giving no special evidence of His mission, gave occasion for 
doubt as to whether He could be the Promised One. The Baptist, 

however, waited in faith, 


believing that in God’s own 



“in Nazareth 
it Was told in 
the carpenter 
shop that had been Joseph’S) 
and One recognized the call.” 

Page 109. 

acter should then be 
given. Thus he would 
be enabled to present 
Him to the people. 

When Jesus came 
to be baptized, John 
recognized in Him a 
purity of character that 
he had never before 
perceived in any man. 

The veiy atmosphere 
of His presence was 

holy and awe-inspiring. Among the multitudes that had gathered about 
him at the Jordan, John had heard dark tales of crime, and had met 
souls bowed down with the burden of myriad sins; but never had he 
come in contact with a human being from whom there breathed an 


time all would be made 
plain. It had been re¬ 
vealed to him that the 
Messiah would seek bap¬ 
tism at his hands, and that 
a sign of His divine char- 





THE BAPTISM. 


I I I 


influence so divine. All this was in harmony with what had been 
revealed to John regarding the Messiah. Yet he shrank from granting 
the request of Jesus. How could he, a sinner, baptize the Sinless One? 
And why should He who needed no repentance submit to a rite that was 
a confession of guilt to be washed away? 

As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back, exclaiming, “I have need 
to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?” With firm yet gentle 
authority, Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh 
us to fulfil all righteousness.” And John, yielding, led the Saviour down 
into the Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water. “And straightway 
coming up out of the water,” Jesus “saw the heavens opened, and the 
Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.” 

Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own 
account. He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are 
to take, and doing the work that we must do. His life of suffering and 
patient endurance after His baptism was also an example to us. 

Upon coming up out of the water, Jesus bowed in prayer on the river 
bank. A new and important era was opening before Him. He was now, 
upon a wider stage, entering on the conflict of His life. Though He was 
the Prince of Peace, His coming must be as the unsheathing of a sword. 
The kingdom He had come to establish was the opposite of that which the 
Jews desired. He who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of 
Israel, would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer. He who had 
proclaimed the law upon Sinai would be condemned as a transgressor. 
He who had come to break the power of Satan would be denounced as 
Beelzebub. No one upon earth had understood Him, and during His 
ministry He must still walk alone. Throughout His life His mother and 
His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did 
not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, 
but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. 

As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The 
Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace-lover must dwell with 
strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every 
sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, 
was torture to His spirit. 

Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. 
Upon Him who had laid off His glory, and accepted the weakness of 
humanity, the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it 
all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the 
salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the 
hand of Omnipotent Love. 


I I 2 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The Saviour’s glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His 
soul in prayer. Well He knows how sin has hardened the hearts of men, 
and how difficult it will be for them to discern His mission, and accept the 
gift of salvation. He pleads with the Father for power to overcome their 
unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and in 
their behalf to conquer the destroyer. He asks for the witness that God 
accepts humanity in the person of His Son. 

Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are 
eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and 
comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His 
Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens 
are opened, and upon the Saviour’s head descends a dovelike form of 
purest light, — fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowdy One. 

Of the vast throng at the Jordan, few except John discerned the 
heavenly vision. Yet the solemnity of the divine presence rested upon the 
assembly. The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was 
bathed in the light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned 
face was glorified as they had never before seen the face of man. From 
the open heavens a voice was heard saying, “This is My beloved Son, in 
whom I am well pleased.” 

These words of confirmation w r ere given to inspire faith in those who 
witnessed the scene, and to strengthen the Saviour for His mission. 
Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, 
notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, 
the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal. 

John had been deeply moved as he saw Jesus bowled as a suppliant, 
pleading with tears for the approval of the Father. As the glory of God 
encircled Him, and the voice from heaven was heard, John recognized 
the token which God had promised. He knew that it w r as the world's 
Redeemer whom he had baptized. The Holy Spirit rested upon him, 
and wfith outstretched hand pointing to Jesus, he cried, “Behold the 
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the w r orld.” 

None among the hearers, and not even the speaker himself, discerned 
the import of these words, “the Lamb of God.” Upon Mount Moriah, 
Abraham had heard the question of his son, “My father, . . . where 
is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” The father answered, “My son, God 
will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt-offering .” 1 And in the ram 
divinely provided in the place of Isaac, Abraham saw a symbol of Him 
who was to die for the sins of men. The Holy Spirit through Isaiah, 

’Gen. 22:7, S. 


THE BAPTISM. 


I 1 3 

taking up the illustration, prophesied of the Saviour, “He is brought as a 
lamb to the slaughter,” “and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us 
all;” 1 but the people of Israel had not understood the lesson. Many of 
them regarded the sacrificial offerings much as the heathen looked upon 
their sacrifices, — as gifts by which they themselves might propitiate the 
Deity'. God desired to teach them that from His own love comes the gift 
which reconciles them to Himself. 

And the word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, “This is My 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” embraces humanity. God 
spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, 
we are not cast aside as worthless. “He hath made us accepted in the 
Beloved.” 2 The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of 
God for us. It tells us of the power of prayer, — how the human voice 
may reach the ear of God, and our petitions 
find acceptance in the courts of heaven. 

By sin, earth was cut off from heaven, and 
alienated from its communion; but Jesus 
has connected it again with the sphere of 
glory. His love has encircled man, and 
reached the highest heaven. The light 
which fell from the open portals upon the 
head of our Saviour, will fall upon us as 
we pray for help to resist temptation. 

The voice which spoke to Jesus says to 
every believing soul, “This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.” 

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear 
what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be 
like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 3 Our Redeemer has opened 
the way, so that the most sinful, the most needy, the most oppressed and 
despised, may find access to the Father. All may have a home in the 
mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare. “These things saith He that is 
holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and 
no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; . . . behold, 1 

have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.”* 

2 Eph. i: 6. 3 1 John 3:2. 4 Rev. 3:7, 8. 



1 Isa. 53: 7. 6 . 



CHAPTER TWELVE. 

ND Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, 
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” The words of 
Mark are still more significant. He says, “Immediately the 
Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness. And He was there in 
the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with 
the wild beasts.” “And in those days He did eat nothing.” 

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led 
by the Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the 
wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting 
and prayer He was to brace Himself for the blood-stained path He must 
travel. But Satan knew that the Saviour had gone into the wilderness, 
and he thought this the best time to approach Him. 

Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between 
the Prince of Light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After 
tempting man to sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and styled himself 
the prince of this world. Having conformed to his own nature the father 
and mother of our race, he thought to establish here his empire. He 
declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign. Through his 
control of men, he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to 
disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal 
This chapter is based on Matt. 4 : 1-11 ; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13. 

( 114) 












THE TEMPTATION. 


“5 



to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete 
control of the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All 
who desired deliverance from his power would be set free. The dominion 
that Adam had lost through sin would be recovered. 

Since the announcement to the serpent in Eden, “I will put enmity 
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed,” 1 Satan 
had known that he did not hold absolute sway over 
the world. There was seen in men the working of a 
power that withstood his dominion. 

With intense interest he watched the 
sacrifices offered by Adam and his 
sons. In these ceremonies he dis¬ 
cerned a symbol of communion 
between earth and heaven. He 
set himself to intercept this com¬ 
munion. He misrepre¬ 
sented God, and misin¬ 
terpreted the rites that 
pointed to the Saviour. 

Men were led to fear 
God as one who de¬ 
lighted in their destruc¬ 
tion. The sacrifices that 
should have revealed 
His love, were offered 
only to appease His 
wrath. Satan excited 
the evil passions of men, in 
order to fasten his rule upon 
them. When God’s written word 
was given, Satan studied the prophecies of the Saviour’s advent. From 
generation to generation he worked to blind the people to these prophe¬ 
cies, that they might reject Christ at His coming. 

At the birth of Jesus, Satan knew that One had come with a divine 
commission to dispute his dominion. He trembled at the angel’s message 
attesting the authority of the new-born King. Satan well knew the posi¬ 
tion that Christ had held in heaven as the Beloved of the Father. That 
the Son of God should come to this earth as a man, filled him with 
amazement and with apprehension. He could not fathom the mystery 


"And 

He Was 

With 

the 

Wild 

beasts.' 


1 Gen. 3:15. 



THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


I 16 

of this great sacrifice. His selfish soul could not understand such love 
for the deceived race. The glory and peace of heaven, and the joy of 
communion with God, were but dimly comprehended by men; but they 
were well known to Lucifer, the covering cherub. Since he had lost 
heaven, he was determined to find revenge by causing others to share his 
fall. This he would do by causing them to undervalue heavenly things, 
and to set the heart upon things of earth. 

Not without hindrance was the Commander of heaven to win the 
souls of men to His kingdom. From the time when He was a babe 
in Bethlehem, He was continually assailed by the evil one. The image 
of God was manifest in Christ, and in the councils of Satan it was de¬ 
termined that He should 
be overcome. No hu¬ 
man being had come 
into the world, and es¬ 
caped the power of the 
deceiver. The forces of 
the confederacy of evil 
were set upon His track 
to engage in warfare 
against Him, and if pos¬ 
sible to prevail over 
Him. 

At the Saviour’s bap¬ 
tism, Satan tvas among 
the witnesses. He saw the Father’s glory overshadowing His Son. He 
heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever 
since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion 
with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through 
Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” 1 
the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity 
through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan 
had hoped that God’s abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation 
between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection 
between God and man had been restored. 

Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues 
of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. 
He must personally conduct the warfare. All the energies of apostasy 
were rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every 
weapon of hell. 



“ Satan studied the prophecies of the Saviour’s advent. ” 
Page 115. 


1 Rom. 8 :3. 


THE TEMPTATION. 


II 7 


Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no 
special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But 
within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. 
Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God with¬ 
out encountering the assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ 
resisted, were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were 
urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior 
to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, 
Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and 
upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the 
temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily over¬ 
come us. 

Satan had pointed to Adam’s sin as proof that God’s law was unjust, 
and could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem 
Adam’s failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of 
the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect 
manhood, possessing the full vigor of mind and body. He was sur¬ 
rounded with the glories of Eden, and was in daily communion with 
heavenly beings. It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the 
wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had 
been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; 
and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only 
thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation. 

Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by 
temptation. Then He could not have been placed in Adam’s position; 
He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we 
have in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would 
not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its 
liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to 
temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured. 

With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the ground of 
the first great temptation. Just where the ruin began, the work of our 
redemption must begin. As by the indulgence of appetite Adam fell, so 
by the denial of appetite Christ must overcome. “And when He had 
fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. And 
when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, 
command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, 
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” 

From the time of Adam to that of Christ, self-indulgence had increased 


118 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


the power of the appetites and passions, until they had almost unlimited 
control. Thus men had become debased and diseased, and of themselves 
it was impossible for them to overcome. In man’s behalf, Christ con¬ 
quered by enduring the severest test. For our sake He exercised a 
self-control stronger than hunger or death. And in this first victory 
were involved other issues that enter into all our conflicts with the powers 
of darkness. 

When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father’s 
glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human 
weakness. But the glory departed, and He was left to battle with temp¬ 
tation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human nature 
shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and 
prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with 
mental agony, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His 
form more than the sons of men.” 1 Now was Satan’s opportunity. Now 
he supposed that he could overcome Christ. 

There came to the Saviour, as if in answer to His prayers, one in the 
guise of an angel from heaven. He claimed to have a commission from 
God to declare that Christ’s fast was at an end. As God had sent an 
angel to stay the hand of Abraham from offering Isaac, so, satisfied with 
Christ’s willingness to enter the blood-stained path, the Father had sent an 
angel to deliver Him; this was the message brought to Jesus. The 
Saviour was faint from hunger, He was craving for food, when Satan came 
suddenly upon Him. Pointing to the stones which strewed the desert, 
and which had the appearance of loaves, the tempter said, “If Thou be 
the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” 

Though he appears as an angel of light, these first words betray his 
character. “If Thou be the Son of God.” Here is the insinuation of 
distrust. Should Jesus do what Satan suggests, it would be an acceptance 
of the doubt. The tempter plans to overthrow Christ by the same means 
that were so successful with the human race in the beginning. How 
artfully had Satan approached Eve in Eden! “Yea, hath God said, Ye 
shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” 2 Thus far the tempter’s words 
were truth; but in his manner of speaking them, there was a disguised 
contempt for the words of God. There was a covert negative, a doubt of 
the divine truthfulness. Satan sought to instill into the mind of Eve the 
thought that God would not do as He had said; that the withholding of 
such beautiful fruit was a contradiction of His love and compassion for 
man. So now the tempter seeks to inspire Christ with his own sentiments. 

1 Isa. 52:14. 2 Gen. 3:1. 


RIVER JORDAN 







THE TEMPTATION. 


I 19 

“If Thou be the Son of God.” The words rankle with bitterness in his 
mind. In the tones of his voice is an expression of utter incredulity. 
Would God treat His own Son thus ? Would He leave Him in the desert 
with wild beasts, without food, without companions, without comfort ? He 
insinuates that God never meant His Son to be in such a state as this. 
“If Thou be the Son of God,” show Thy power by relieving Thyself of 
this pressing hunger. Command that this stone be made bread. 

The words from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am 
well pleased,” 1 were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was 
determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony. The word of God 
was Christ’s assurance of His divine mission. He had come to live as a 
man among men, and it was the word that declared His connection with 
heaven. It was Satan’s purpose to cause Him to doubt that word. If 
Christ’s confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that the victory in 
the whole controversy would be his. He could overcome Jesus. He 
hoped that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger, Christ 
would lose faith in His Father, and work a miracle in His own behalf. 
Had He done this, the plan of salvation would have been broken. 

When Satan and the Son of God first met in conflict, Christ was the 
commander of the heavenly hosts; and Satan, the leader of revolt in 
heaven, was cast out. Now their condition is apparently reversed, and 
Satan makes the most of his supposed advantage. One of the most 
powerful of the angels, he says, has been banished from heaven. The 
appearance of Jesus indicates that He is that fallen angel, forsaken 
by God, and deserted by man. A divine being would be able to sustain 
his claim by working a miracle; “if Thou be the Son of God, command 
this stone that it be made bread.” Such an act of creative power, 
urges the tempter, would be conclusive evidence of divinity. It would 
bring the controversy to an end. 

Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch¬ 
deceiver. But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan, 
or to explain the reason of His humiliation. By conceding to the demands 
of the rebel, nothing for the good of man or the glory of God would be 
gained. Had Christ complied with the suggestion of the enemy, Satan 
would still have said, “Show me a sign that I may believe you to be the 
Son of God.” Evidence would have been worthless to break the power 
of rebellion in his heart. And Christ was not to exercise divine power 
for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as we must do, leaving 
us an example of faith and submission. Neither here nor at any subse- 

1 Matt. 3:17. 


I 20 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



quent time in His earthly life did He work a miracle in His own behalf. 
His wonderful works were all for the good of others. Though Jesus 
recognized Satan from the beginning, He was not provoked to enter into 
controversy with him. Strengthened with the memory of the voice 
from heaven, He rested in His Father’s love. He would not parley 
with temptation. 

Jesus met Satan with the words of Scripture. “It is written,” He 
said. In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the w r ord of 
God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of 
His divinity. But that which is greater than all 
miracles, a firm reliance upon a “thus saith the 
Lord,” was a sign that could not be contro¬ 
verted. So long as Christ held 
to this position, the tempter 
could gain no advantage. 

It was in the time of greatest 
weakness that Christ was assailed 
by the fiercest temptations. 
Thus Satan thought to prevail. 
By this policy he had gained 
the victory over men. When 
strength failed, and the will 
power weakened, and faith 
ceased to repose in God, then 
those who had stood long and 
valiantly for the right, were 
overcome. Moses was wearied 
with the forty years’ wandering 
of Israel, when for the moment 
his faith let go its hold upon 
infinite power. He failed just 
upon the borders of the prom¬ 
ised land. So with Elijah, who had stood undaunted before King Ahab; 
who had faced the whole nation of Israel, with the four hundred and 
fifty prophets of Baal at their head. After that terrible day upon Carmel, 
when the false prophets had been slain, and the people had declared their 
allegiance to God, Elijah fled for his life before the threats of the 
idolatrous Jezebel. Thus Satan has taken advantage of the weakness of 
humanity. And he will still work in the same way. Whenever one is 
encompassed with clouds, perplexed by circumstances, or afflicted by 


“He failed just upon the borders of the 
promised land.” 



THE TEMPTATION. 


I 2 I 


poverty or distress, Satan is at hand to tempt and annoy. He attacks 
our weak points of character. He seeks to shake our confidence in God, 
who suffers such a condition of things to exist. We are tempted to 
distrust God, to question His love. Often the tempter comes to us as 
he came to Christ, arraying before us our weakness and infirmities. He 
hopes to discourage the soul, and to break our hold on God. Then he is 
sure of his prey. If we would meet him as Jesus did, we should escape 
many a defeat. By parleying with the enemy, we give him an advantage. 

When Christ said to the tempter, “Man shall not live by bread alone, 
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” He repeated 
the words that, more than fourteen hundred years before, He had spoken 
to Israel: “The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, 
and He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee 
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that 
He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by 
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man 
live.” 1 In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent 
His people manna from heaven; and a sufficient and constant supply was 
given. This provision was to teach them that while they trusted in God, 
and walked in His ways, He would not forsake them. The Saviour now 
practised the lesson He had taught to Israel. By the word of God, 
succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it 
would be given to Jesus. He awaited God’s time to bring relief. He 
was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food 
by following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing 
universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may 
befall, than to depart in any manner from the will of God. 

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” 
Often the follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God and 
carry forward his worldly enterprises. Perhaps it appears that obedience 
to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means of support. 
Satan would make him believe that he must sacrifice his conscientious 
convictions. But the only thing in our world upon which we can rely, is 
the word of God. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His right¬ 
eousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” 2 Even in this 
life it is not for our good to depart from the will of our Father in heaven. 
When we learn the power of His word, we shall not follow the 
suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food or to save our lives. Our 
only questions will be, What is God’s command? and what His promise? 
Knowing these, we shall obey the one, and trust the other. 

1 Deut. 8:2,3. 2 Matt. 6:33. 


122 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan, those who are 
loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off Because they refuse 
to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden 
to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. 1 
But to the obedient is given the promise, “He shall dwell on high; his 
place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks; bread shall be given 
him; his waters shall be sure.’’ 8 By this promise the children of God will 
live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be fed. 
“They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine 
they shall be satisfied.” 3 To that time of distress the prophet Habakkuk 
looked forward, and his words express the faith of the church: “Although 
the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor 
of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall 
be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I 
will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” 4 

Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord’s first great temptation, 
none is more important than that bearing upon the control of the appetites 
and passions. In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature 
have been most effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind. Through 
intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers that 
God gave to man as a priceless endowment. Thus it becomes impossible 
for men to appreciate things of eternal worth. Through sensual indul¬ 
gence, Satan seeks to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God. 

The uncontrolled indulgence and consequent disease and degradation 
that existed at Christ’s first advent, will again exist, with intensity of evil, 
before His second coming. Christ declares that the condition of the world 
will be as in the days before the flood, and as in Sodom and Gomorrah. 
Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart will be evil continually. 

Upon the very verge of that fearful time we are now living, and to 

us should come home the lesson of the Saviour’s fast. Only by the 

inexpressible anguish which Christ endured, can we estimate the evil of 

unrestrained indulgence. His example declares that our only hope of 
eternal life is through bringing the appetites and passions into subjection 
to the will of God. 

In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our 
fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us. 
Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take 
advantage of hereditaiy weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare 

£ See Rev. 13:11-17; also Appendix, Note 1. 

2 Isa. 33:16. 51 Ps. 37:19. 4 Hab. ,3:17, 18. 


THE TEMPTATION. 


123 


all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which 
man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It 
is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with 
Satan. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults 
of the serpent. “Be of good cheer,” He says; “I have overcome the world.” 1 
Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite, look to the 
Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the 
cross, as He exclaimed, “I thirst.” He has endured all that it is possible 
for us to bear. His victory is ours. 

Jesus rested upon the wisdom and strength of His Heavenly Father. 
He declares, “The Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be 
confounded, . . . and I know that I shall not be ashamed. ... 
Behold, the Lord God will help Me.” Pointing to His own example, 
He says to us, “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, . . . that 
walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? Let him trust in the name of 
the Lord, and stay upon his God.” 2 

“The prince of this world cometh,” said Jesus, “and hath nothing in 
Me.” 3 There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s sophistry. 
He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to 
temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with 
divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy 
Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So 
long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over 
us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold 
upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. 

And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means 
did He overcome in the conflict with Satan ?—By the word of God. Only 
by the word could He resist temptation. “It is written,” He said. And 
unto us are given “exceeding great and precious promises, that by these 
ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption 
that is in the world through lust.” 4 Every promise in God’s word is ours. 
“By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” are we to live. 
When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness 
of self, but to the power of the word. All its strength is yours. “Thy 
word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin 
against Thee.” “By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths 
of the destroyer.” 5 

2 Isa. 50 : 7-10 3 John 14:30. 

6 Ps. 119:11; 17:4- 


John 16:33. 


4 2 Peter 1:4. 



CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

HEN the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth 
Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, 
If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down; for it is 
written,— 

“He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee; 

And in their hands they shall bear Thee up, 

Lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” 

Satan now supposes that he has met Jesus on His own ground. The 
wily foe himself presents words that proceeded from the mouth of God. 
He still appears as an angel of light, and he makes it evident that he 
is acquainted with the Scriptures, and understands the import of what is. 
written. As Jesus before used the word of God to sustain His faith, the 
tempter now uses it to countenance his deception. He claims that he 
has been only testing the fidelity of Jesus, and he now commends His 
steadfastness. As the Saviour has manifested trust in God, Satan urges 
Him to give still another evidence of His faith. 

But again the temptation is prefaced with the insinuation of distrust, 
“If Thou be the Son of God.” Christ was tempted to answer the “if;” 
but He refrained from the slightest acceptance of the doubt. He would 
not imperil His life in order to give evidence to Satan. 

This chapter is based on Matt. 4 :5-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4 : 5-13. 

( 124) 













THE VICTORY. 


The tempter thought to take advantage of Christ’s humanity, and urge 
Him to presumption. But while Satan can solicit, he cannot compel to 
sin. He said to Jesus, “Cast Thyself down,” knowing that he could not 
cast Him down; for God would interpose to deliver Him. Nor could 
Satan force Jesus to cast Himself down. Unless Christ should consent 
to temptation, He could not be overcome. Not all the power of earth 
or hell could force Him in 
the slightest degree to depart 
from the will of His Father. 

The tempter can never 
compel us to do evil. He 
cannot control minds unless 
they are yielded to his con¬ 
trol. The will must consent, 
faith must let go its hold 
upon Christ, before Satan can 
exercise his power upon us. 

But every sinful desire we 
cherish affords him a foot¬ 
hold. Every point in 
which we fail of meeting 
the divine standard, is an 
open door by which he 
can enter to tempt and 
destroy us. And every 
failure or defeat on our 
part gives occasion for him 
to reproach Christ. 

When Satan quoted the 
promise, “He shall give 

His angels charge over Thee,” he omitted the words, “to keep Thee in 
all Thy ways;” that is, in all the ways of God’s choosing. Jesus refused 
to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in 
His Father, He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a position that 
would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save Him from death. 
He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of 
giving man an example of trust and submission. 

Jesus declared to Satan, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the 
Lord thy God.” These words were spoken by Moses to the children of 
Israel when they thirsted in the desert, and demanded that Moses should 


" If Thou be the 
Sorv of God, cast 
Thyself down.” 



126 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


give them water, exclaiming, “Is the Lord among us, or not?’’ 1 God 
had wrought marvelously for them; yet in trouble they doubted Him, 
and demanded evidence that He was with them. In their unbelief they 
sought to put Him to the test. And Satan was urging Christ to do the 
same thing. God had already testified that Jesus was His Son; and now 
to ask for proof that He was the Son of God, would be putting God’s 
word to the test, — tempting Him. And the same would be true of 
asking for that which God had not promised. It would manifest distrust, 
and be really proving or tempting Him. We should not present our 
petitions to God to prove whether He will fulfil His word, but because He 
will fulfil it; not to prove that He loves us, but because He loves us. 
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God 
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently 
seek Him.” 2 

But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true 
faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit 
of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. 
Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to 
excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the 
love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to 
transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from 
the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of 
Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be 
granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions 
of the Scriptures. 

Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading 
us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily 
in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will 
preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is 
to venture on Satan’s ground. There we are sure to fall. The Saviour 
has bidden us, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” 3 
Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way 
of danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat. 

Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation. Often 
when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been 
leading us. But it was the Spirit’s leading that brought Jesus into the 
wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He 
has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on 
God’s promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give 
1 Ex. 17:7. 2 Heb. 11:6. 3 Mark 14:38. 



Copyright, 1898, by Pacific Press Publishing Co, 

CHRIST AND SATAN ON THE MOUNTAIN, 


“ Satan caused the kingdoms of the 
world, in all their glory, to pass in pan¬ 
oramic view before Him.” Page t2q. 





THE VICTORY. 


I 29 

up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. 
“God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are 
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may 
be able to bear it.’’ He says, “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay 
thy vows unto the Most High; and call upon Me in the day of trouble; 
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me .” 1 

Jesus was victor in the second temptation, and now Satan manifests 
himself in his true character. But he does not appear as a hideous 
monster, with cloven feet and bats’ wings. He is a mighty angel, 
though fallen. He avows himself the leader of rebellion and the god of 
this world. 

Placing Jesus upon a high mountain, Satan caused the kingdoms of 
the world, in all their glory, to pass in panoramic view before Him. The 
sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, fertile fields, and fruit-laden 
vineyards. The traces of evil were hidden. The eyes of Jesus, so lately 
greeted by gloom and desolation, now gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed 
loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter’s voice was heard: “All this 
power will I give Thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto 
me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship 
me, all shall be Thine.” 

Christ’s mission could be fulfilled only through suffering. Before Him 
was a life of sorrow, hardship, and conflict, and an ignominious death. 
He must bear the sins of the whole world. He must endure separation 
from His Father’s love. Now the tempter offered to yield up the power 
he had usurped. Christ might deliver Himself from the dreadful future 
by acknowledging the supremacy of Satan. But to do this was to yield 
the victory in the great controversy. It was in seeking to exalt himself 
above the Son of God, that Satan had sinned in heaven. Should he 
prevail now, it would be the triumph of rebellion. 

When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the world 
are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what 
was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of 
deception. Satan’s dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam 
was the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. 
The earth is God’s, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam 
was to reign subject to Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty 
into Satan’s hands, Christ still remained the rightful King. Thus the 
Lord had said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “The Most High ruleth in the 


1 Cor. 10:13; Ps. 50:14, 15. 


130 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will .” 1 Satan can 
exercise his usurped authority only as God permits. 

When the tempter offered to Christ the kingdom and glory of the 
world, he was proposing that Christ should yield up the real kingship of 
the world, and hold dominion subject to Satan. This was the same 
dominion upon which the hopes of the Jews were set. They desired the 
kingdom of this world. If Christ had consented to offer them such a 
kingdom, they would gladly have received Him. But the curse of sin, 
with all its woe, rested upon it. Christ declared to the tempter, “Get 
thee behind Me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” 

By the one who had revolted in heaven, the kingdoms of this world 
were offered Christ, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He 
would not be bought; He had come to establish a kingdom of righteous¬ 
ness, and He would not abandon His purpose. With the same temptation 
Satan approaches men, and here he has better success than with Christ. 
To men he offers the kingdom of this world on condition that they will 
acknowledge his supremacy. He requires that they sacrifice integrity, 
disregard conscience, indulge selfishness. Christ bids them seek first the 
kingdom of God, and His righteousness; but Satan walks by their side 
and says, “Whatever may be true in regard to life eternal, in order to 
make a success in this world you must serve me. I hold your welfare 
in my hands. I can give you riches, pleasures, honor, and happiness. 
Hearken to my counsel. Do not allow yourselves to be carried away 
with whimsical notions of honesty or self-sacrifice. I will prepare the 
way before you.” Thus multitudes are deceived. They consent to live 
for the service of self, and Satan is satisfied. While he allures them with 
the hope of worldly dominion, he gains dominion over the soul. But 
he offers that which is not his to bestow, and which is soon to be wrested 
from him. In return he beguiles them of their title to the inheritance of 
the sons of God. 

Satan had questioned whether Jesus was the Son of God. In his 
summary dismissal he had proof that he could not gainsay. Divinity 
flashed through suffering humanity. Satan had no power to resist the 
command. Writhing with humiliation and rage, he was forced to with¬ 
draw from the presence of the world’s Redeemer. Christ’s victory was 
as complete as had been the failure of Adam. 

So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us. 
Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by 

1 Dan. 4 : 17. 


THE VICTORY. 


l 3 ! 

the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist 
the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will 
draw nigh to you .” 1 We cannot save ourselves from the tempter’s 
power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our 
own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but “the name of 
the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe .” 2 
Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that 
mighty name. 

After the foe had departed, Jesus fell exhausted to the earth, with the 
pallor of death upon His face. The angels of heaven had watched 
the conflict, beholding their loved Commander as He passed through 
inexpressible suffering to make a way of escape for us. He had endured 
the test, greater than we shall ever be called to endure. The angels 
now ministered to the Son of God, as He lay like one dying. He was 
strengthened with food, comforted with the message of His Father’s love, 
and the assurance that all heaven triumphed in His victory. Warming to 
life again, His great heart goes out in sympathy for man, and He goes 
forth to complete the work He has begun; to rest not until the foe is 
vanquished, and our fallen race redeemed. 

Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed 
shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the 
glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses, we shall 
remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile 
from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal 
loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, 
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and 
wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing .” 3 

’James 4:7, 8. z Prov. 18:10. 3 Rev. 5:12. 





CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

OHN the Baptist was now preaching and baptizing at Bethabara, 
beyond Jordan. It was not far from this spot that God had 
stayed the river in its flow until Israel had passed over. A 
little distance from here the stronghold of Jericho had been 
overthrown by the armies of heaven. The memory of these 
events was at this time revived, and gave a thrilling interest to the 
Baptist’s message. Would not He who had wrought so wonderfully in 
ages past, again manifest His power for Israel’s deliverance? Such was 
the thought stirring the hearts of the people who daily thronged the 
banks of the Jordan. 

The preaching of John had taken so deep a hold on the nation as to 
demand the attention of the religious authorities. The danger of insurrec¬ 
tion caused every popular gathering to be looked upon with suspicion 
by the Romans, and whatever pointed toward an uprising of the people 
excited the fears of the Jewish rulers. John had not recognized the 
authority of the Sanhedrim by seeking their sanction for his work; and 
he had reproved rulers and people, Pharisees and Sadducees alike. Yet 
the people followed him eagerly. The interest in his work seemed to be 
continually increasing. Though he had not deferred to them, the Sanhe¬ 
drim accounted that, as a public teacher, he was under their jurisdiction. 

This chapter is based on John i: 19-51. 



(132 ) 

















WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


133 


This body was made up of members chosen from the priesthood, and 
from the chief rulers and teachers of the nation. The high priest was 
usually the president. All its members were to be men advanced in years, 
though not aged; men of learning, not only versed in Jewish religion and 
history, but in general knowledge. They were to be without physical 
blemish, and must be married men, and fathers, as being more likely 
than others to be humane and considerate. Their place of meeting 
was an apartment connected with the temple at Jerusalem. In the days 
of Jewish independence the Sanhedrim was the supreme court of the 
nation, possessing secular as well as ecclesiastical authority. Though 
now subordinated by the Roman governors, it still exercised a strong 
influence in civil as well as religious matters. 

The Sanhedrim could not well defer an investigation of John’s work. 
There were some who recalled the revelation made to Zacharias in the 
temple, and the father’s prophecy, that had pointed to his child as 
the Messiah’s herald. In the tumults and changes of thirty years, 
these things had in a great measure been lost sight of. They 
were now called to mind by the excitement concerning the ministry 
of John. 

It was long since Israel had had a prophet, long since such a refor¬ 
mation as was now in progress had been witnessed. The demand for 
confession of sin seemed new and startling. Many among the leaders 
would not go to hear John’s appeals and denunciations, lest they should 
be led to disclose the secrets of their own lives. Yet his preaching was a 
direct announcement of the Messiah. It was well known that the seventy 
weeks of Daniel’s prophecy, covering the Messiah’s advent, were nearly 
ended; and all were eager to share in that era of national glory which 
was then expected. Such was the popular enthusiasm that the Sanhedrim 
would soon be forced either to sanction or to reject John’s work. Already 
their power over the people was waning. It was becoming a serious 
question how to maintain their position. In the hope of arriving at some 
conclusion, they dispatched to the Jordan a deputation of priests and 
Levites to confer with the new teacher. 

A multitude were gathered, listening to his words, when the delegates 
approached. With an air of authority designed to impress the people, 
and to command the deference of the prophet, the haughty rabbis came. 
With a movement of respect, almost of fear, the crowd opened to let 
them pass. The great men, in their rich robes, in the pride of rank 
and power, stood before the prophet of the wilderness. 

“Who art thou?” they demanded. 


134 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Knowing what was in their thoughts, John answered, “I am not 
the Christ.” 

“What then? Art thou Elias?” 

“I am not.” 

“Art thou that prophet?” 

“No.” 



"With a movement of respect, almost of fear, the crowd opened to let 
them pass.” Page 133 . 


“Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. 
What sayest thou of thyself?” 

“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the 
way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” 

The scripture to which John referred is that beautiful prophecy of 
Isaiah: “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak 








WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


r 35 


ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her appointed time 1 
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. . . , The voice of 

him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be 
exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked 
shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of 
the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” 2 

Anciently, when a king journeyed through the less frequented parts 
of his dominion, a company of men w r as sent ahead of the royal chariot 
to level the steep places and to fill up the hollows, that the king might 
travel in safety and without hindrance. This custom is employed by 
the prophet to illustrate the work of the gospel. “Every valley shall 
be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low ” When the 
Spirit of God, with its marvelous awakening power, touches the soul, it 
abases human pride. Worldly pleasure and position and power are seen 
to be worthless. “Imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth 
itself against the knowledge of God ,” 3 are cast down; every thought 
is brought into captivity “to the obedience of Christ.” Then humility 
and self-sacrificing love, so little valued among men, are exalted as alone of 
worth. This is the work of the gospel, of which John’s message was a part. 

The rabbis continued their questioning: “Why baptizest thou then, if 
thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” The words 
“that prophet” had reference to Moses. The Jews had been inclined 
to the belief that Moses would be raised from the dead, and taken to 
heaven. They did not know that he had already been raised. When 
the Baptist began his ministry, many thought that he might be the 
prophet Moses risen from the dead; for he seemed to have a thorough 
knowledge of the prophecies and of the history of Israel. 

It was believed also that before the Messiah’s advent, Elijah would 
personally appear. This expectation John met in his denial; but his 
words had a deeper meaning. Jesus afterward said, referring to John, 
“If ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, which is to come .” 4 John 
came in the spirit and power of Elijah, to do such a work as Elijah did. 
If the Jews had received him, it would have been accomplished for them. 
But they did not receive his message. To them he was not Elijah. He 
could not fulfil for them the mission he came to accomplish. 

Many of those gathered at the Jordan had been present at the baptism 
of Jesus; but the sign then given had been manifest to but few among 
them. During the preceding months of the Baptist’s ministry, many had 
‘Margin. 2 Isa. 40: 1-5. 3 2 Cor. 10:5. 4 Matt. 11:14, R. V. 


c 


136 THE DESIRE OF AGES. 

refused to heed the call to repentance. Thus they had hardened their 
hearts and darkened their understanding. When Heaven bore testimony 
to Jesus at His baptism, they perceived it not. Eyes that had never 
been turned in faith to Him that is invisible, beheld not the revelation 
of the glory of God; ears that had never listened to His voice, heard 
not the words of witness. So it is now. Often the presence of Christ 
and the ministering angels is manifest in the assemblies of the people, and 
yet there are many who know it not. They discern nothing unusual. 
But to some the Saviour’s presence is revealed. Peace and joy animate 
their hearts. They are comforted, encouraged, and blessed. 

The deputies from Jerusalem had demanded of John, “Why baptizest 
thou?” and they were awaiting his answ r er. Sud- 

throng, his eye 
is face was lighted 
'hole being was 
stirred with deep 
emotion. With 
ou t stret c hed 
hands he cried, 
“I baptize in 
water; in the 
midst of you 
standeth One 
whom ye know 
not; even He 
that cometh 
after me, the 

latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose .” 1 

The message was distinct and unequivocal, to be carried back to the 
Sanhedrim. The words of John could apply to no other than the long- 
promised One. The Messiah was among them! In amazement priests 
and rulers gazed about them, hoping to discover Him of whom John 
had spoken. But He was not distinguishable among the throng. 

When at the baptism of Jesus, John pointed to Him as the Lamb 
of God, a new light was shed upon the Messiah’s work. The prophet’s 
mind was directed to the words of Isaiah, “He is brought as a lamb 
to the slaughter .” 2 During the weeks that followed, John with new 
interest studied the prophecies and the teaching of the sacrificial service. 
He did not distinguish dearly the two phases of Christ’s work,—as a 
1 R. V., margin. 2 Isa. 53:7. 





WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


I 37 


suffering sacrifice and a conquering king,—but he saw that His coming 
had a deeper significance than priests or people had discerned. When 
he beheld Jesus among the throng, on His return from the desert, he 
confidently looked for Him to give the people some sign of His true 
character. Almost impatiently he waited to hear the Saviour declare 
His mission; but no word was spoken, no sign given. Jesus did not 
respond to the Baptist’s announcement of Him, but mingled with the 
disciples of John, giving no outward evidence of His special work, and 
taking no measures to bring Himself to notice. 

The next day John sees Jesus coming. With the light of the glory 
of God resting upon him, the prophet stretches out his hands, declaring, 
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 
This is He of whom I said, After me comcth a man which is become 
before me; . . . and I knew Him not; but that He should be made 
manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in 1 water. . . 

I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode 
upon Him. And I knew Him not; but He that sent me to baptize in' 
water. He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit 
descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the 
Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the 
Son of God .” 2 

Was this the Christ ? With awe and wonder the people looked upon 
the One just declared to be the Son of God. They had been deeply 
moved by the words of John. He had spoken to them in the name of 
God. They had listened to him day after day as he reproved their sins, 
and daily the conviction that he was sent of Heaven had strengthened. 
But who was this One greater than John the Baptist? In His dress and 
bearing there was nothing that betokened rank. He was apparently a 
simple personage, clad like themselves in the humble garments of 
the poor. 

There were in the throng some who at Christ’s baptism had beheld 
the divine glory, and had heard the voice of God. But since that time 
the Saviour’s appearance had greatly changed. At His baptism they had 
seen His countenance transfigured in the light of heaven; now, pale, 
worn, and emaciated, He had been recognized only by the prophet John. 

But as the people looked upon Him, they saw a face where divine 
compassion was blended with conscious power. Every glance of the 
eye, every feature of the countenance, was marked with humility, and 
expressive of unutterable love. He seemed to be surrounded by an 
'Margin. 2 R. V. 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


138 

atmosphere of spiritual influence. While His manners were gentle and 
unassuming, He impressed men with a sense of power that was hidden, 
yet could not be wholly concealed. Was this the One for whom Israel 
had so long waited ? 

Jesus came in poverty and humiliation, that He might be our 
example as well as our Redeemer. If He had appeared with kingly 
pomp, how could He have taught humility ? how could He have presented 
such cutting truths as in the sermon on the mount ? Where would have 
been the hope of the lowly in life, had Jesus come to dwell as a king 
among men ? 

To the multitude, however, it seemed impossible that the One desig¬ 
nated by John should be associated with their lofty anticipations. Thus 
many were disappointed, and greatly perplexed. 

The words which the priests and rabbis so much desired to hear, 
that Jesus would now restore the kingdom to Israel, had not been spoken. 
For such a king they had been waiting and watching; such a king they 
were ready to receive. But one who sought to establish in their hearts 
a kingdom of righteousness and peace, they would not accept. 

On the following day, while two disciples were standing near, John 
again saw Jesus among the people. Again the face of the prophet was 
lighted up with glory from the Unseen, as he cried, “Behold the Lamb 
of God !” The words thrilled the hearts of the disciples. They did not 
fully understand them. What meant the name that John had given 
Him,— “the Lamb of God”? John himself had not explained it. 

Leaving John, they went to seek Jesus. One of the two was Andrew, 
the brother of Simon; the other was John the evangelist. These were 
Christ’s first disciples. Moved by an irresistible impulse, they followed 
Jesus, — anxious to speak with Him, yet awed and silent, lost in the 
overwhelming significance of the thought, “Is this the Messiah?” 

Jesus knew that the disciples were following Him. They were the 
first-fruits of His ministry, and there was joy in the heart of the divine 
Teacher as these souls responded to His grace. Yet turning, He asked 
only, “What seek ye?” He would leave them free to turn back, or to 
speak of their desire. 

Of one purpose only were they conscious. One presence filled their 
thought. They exclaimed, “Rabbi, where dwellest Thou?” In a brief 
interview by the wayside they could not receive that for which they 
longed. They desired to be alone with Jesus, to sit at His feet, and 
hear His words. 

“He saith unto them, Come and see. They came, and saw where 
He dwelt, and abode with Him that day.” 


WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


139 


If John and Andrew had possessed the unbelieving spirit of the 
priests and rulers, they would not have been found as learners at the feet 
of Jesus. They would have come to Him as critics, to judge His words. 
Many thus close the door to the most precious opportunities. But not 
so did these first disciples. They had responded to the Holy Spirit’s call 
in the preaching of John the Baptist. Now they recognized the voice of 
the heavenly Teacher. To them the words of JesuS were full of freshness 
and truth and beauty. A divine illumination was shed upon the teaching 
of the Old Testament Scriptures. The' many-sided themes of truth 
stood out in new light. 

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive 
wisdom from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge, 
and every one that loveth “knoweth God .” 1 

The disciple John was a man of earnest and deep affection, ardent, 
yet contemplative. He had begun to discern the glory of Christ, — not 
the worldly pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope, but 
“the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and 
truth .” 2 He was absorbed in contemplation of the wondrous theme. 

Andrew sought to impart the joy that filled his heart. Going in 
search of his brother Simon, he cried, “We have found the Messias.” 
Simon waited for no second bidding. He also had heard the preaching 
of John the Baptist, and he hastened to the Saviour. The eye of Christ 
rested upon him, reading his character and his life history. His impulsive 
nature, his loving, sympathetic heart, his ambition and self-confidence, 
the history of his fall, his repentance, his labors and his martyr death, — 
the Saviour read it all, and He said, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona; 
thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” 

“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth 
Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me.” Philip obeyed the command, 
and straightway he also became a worker for Christ. 

Philip called Nathanael. The latter had been among the throng 
when the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. As Nathanael 
looked upon Jesus, he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the 
marks of toil and poverty, be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not 
decide to reject Jesus; for the message of John had brought conviction 
to his heart. 

At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn to 
a quiet grove to meditate upon the announcement of John, and the 
prophecies concerning the Messiah. He prayed that if the one announced 
1 1 John 4: 7. 2 John 1:14. 


140 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



by John was the deliverer, it might be made known to him, and the Holy 
Spirit rested upon him with assurance that God had visited His people 
and raised up a horn of salvation for them. Philip knew that his friend 
was searching the prophecies, and while Nathanael was praying under a 
fig-tree, Philip discovered his retreat. They had often prayed together in 
this secluded spot, hidden by the foliage. 

The message, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and 
the prophets, did write,” seemed to Nathanael 
a direct answer to his prayer. But Philip had 
yet a trembling faith. He added doubt¬ 
er, “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of 
Joseph.” Again prejudice arose 
in Nathanael’s heart. He 
exclaimed, “Can there 
any good thing come out 
of Nazareth?” 

Philip entered into no 
controversy. He said, 
“Come and see. Jesus 
saw Nathanael coming 
to Him, and saith of him, 
Behold an Israelite in¬ 
deed, in whom is no 
guile!” In surprise Na¬ 
thanael exclaimed, “Whence 
knowest Thou me ? Jesus 
answered and said unto him, 
Before that Philip called thee, 
when thou wast under the 
fig-tree, I saw thee.” 

It was enough. The divine 
Spirit that had borne witness to 
Nathanael in his solitary prayer 
under the fig-tree, now spoke to him in the words of Jesus. Though in 
doubt, and yielding somewhat to prejudice, Nathanael had come to Christ 
with an honest desire for truth, and now his desire was met. His faith 
went beyond that of the one who had brought him to Jesus. He 
answered and said, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the 
King of Israel.” 


“They had 

often prayed together in 
this secluded spot, hid¬ 
den by the foliage." 


It Nathanael had trusted to the rabbis for guidance, he would never 


WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


141 

have found Jesus. It was by seeing and judging for himself that he 
became a disciple. So in the case of many to-day whom prejudice 
withholds from good. How different would be the result,'if they would 
“come and see.” 

While they trust to the guidance of human authority, none will come 
to a saving knowledge of the truth. Like Nathanael, we need to study 
God’s word for ourselves, and pray for the enlightenment of the Holy 
Spirit. He who saw Nathanael under the fig-tree, will see us in the 
secret place of prayer. Angels from the world of light are near to 
those who in humility seek for divine guidance. 

With the calling of John and Andrew and Simon, of Philip and 
Nathanael, began the foundation of the Christian church. John directed 
two of his disciples to Christ. Then one of these, Andrew, found his 
brother, and called him to the Saviour. Philip was then called, and he 
went in search of Nathanael. These examples should teach us the 
importance of personal effort, of making direct appeals to our kindred, 
friends, and neighbors. There are those who for a lifetime have professed 
to be acquainted with Christ, yet who have never made a personal effort to 
bring even one soul to the Saviour. They leave all the work for the 
minister. He may be well qualified for his calling, but he cannot do that 
which God has left for the members of the church. 

There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. 
Many have gone down to ruin w r ho might have been saved, if their 
neighbors, common men and women, had put forth personal effort for 
them. Many are waiting to be personally addressed. In the very family, 
the neighborhood, the town where we live, there is work for us to do as 
missionaries for Christ. If we are Christians, this work will be our 
delight. No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a 
desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in 
Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. 

All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God 
makes them His agents to communicate to others the riches of His 
grace. His promise is, “I will make them and the places round about 
My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his 
season; there shall be showers of blessing .” 1 

Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see.”. He did not ask him to 
accept another’s testimony, but to behold Christ for himself. Now that 
Jesus has ascended to heaven, His disciples are His representatives among 
men, and one of the most effective ways of winning souls to Him is in 


1 Eze. 34:26. 


142 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


exemplifying His character in our daily life. Our influence upon others 
depends not so much upon what we say, as upon what we are. Men 
may combat and defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life 
of disinterested love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent 
life, characterized by the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world. 

The teaching of Christ was the expression of an inwrought conviction 
and experience, and those who learn of Him become teachers after the 
divine order. The word of God, spoken by one who is himself sanctified 
through it, has a life-giving power that makes it attractive to the hearers, 
and convicts them that it is a living reality. When one has received the 
truth in the love of it, he will make this manifest in the persuasion of 
his manner and the tones of his voice. He makes known that which 
he himself has heard, seen, and handled of the word of life, that others 
may have fellowship with him through the knowledge of Christ. His 
testimony, from lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, is truth 
to the receptive heart, and works sanctification upon the character. 

And he who seeks to give light to others, will himself be blessed. 
“There shall be showers of blessing.” “He that watereth shall be 
watered also himself .” 1 God could have reached His object in saving 
sinners without our aid; but in order for us to develop a character like 
Christ’s, we must share in His work. In order to enter into His joy,— 
the joy of seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice,—we must participate 
in His labors for their redemption. 

Nathanael’s first expression of his faith, so full and earnest and sincere, 
fell like music on the ears of Jesus. And He “answered and said unto 
him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest 
thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.” The Saviour looked 
forward with joy to His work in preaching good tidings to the meek, 
binding up the broken-hearted, and proclaiming liberty to the captives 
of Satan. At thought of the precious blessings He had brought to men, 
Jesus added, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see 
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon 
the Son of man.” 

Here Christ virtually says, On the bank of the Jordan the heavens 
were opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove upon Me. That scene 
was but a token that I am the Son of God. If you believe on Me as 
such, your faith shall be quickened. You shall see that the heavens are 
opened, and are never to be closed. I have opened them to you. The 
angels of God are ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy and 

! Prov. 11:25. 


WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS. 


H3 


distressed to the Father above, and descending, bringing blessing and hope, 
courage, help, and life, to the children of men. 

The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from 
heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering 
were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. 
And it is through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, 
that every blessing comes from God to us. In taking upon Himself 
humanity, our Saviour unites His interests with those of the fallen sons 
and daughters of Adam, while through His divinity He grasps the throne 
of God. And thus Christ is the medium of communication of men with 
God, and of God with men. 




CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

US did not begin His ministry by some great work before 
:he Sanhedrim at Jerusalem. At a household gathering in 
a little Galilean village, His power was put forth to add to 
:he joy of a wedding feast. Thus He showed His sympathy 
with men, and His desire to minister to their happiness. In 
the wilderness of temptation He Himself had drank the cup of woe. 
He came forth to give to men the cup of blessing, by His benediction to 
hallow the relations of human life. 

From the Jordan, Jesus had returned to Galilee. There was to be a 
marriage at Cana, a little town not far from Nazareth; the parties w r ere 
relatives of Joseph and Mary; and Jesus, knowing of this family gathering, 
went to Cana, and with His disciples was invited to the feast. 

Again He met His mother, from whom He had for some time been 
separated. Mary had heard of the manifestation at the Jordan, at His 
baptism. The tidings had been carried to Nazareth, and had brought 
to her mind afresh the scenes that for so many years had been hidden 
in her heart. In common with all Israel, Mary was deeply stirred by 
the mission of John the Baptist. Well she remembered the prophecy 
given at his birth. Now his connection with Jesus kindled her hopes 
anew. But tidings had reached her also of the mysterious departure of 
Jesus to the wilderness, and she was oppressed with troubled forebodings. 

This chapter is based on John 2:1-11. 



( 144 ) 













AT THE MARRIAGE FEAST. 


*45 


From the day when she heard the angel’s announcement in che home 
at Nazareth, Mary had treasured every evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. 
His sweet, unselfish life assured her that He could be no other than the 
Sent of God. Yet there came to her also doubts and disappointments, 
and -she had longed for the time when His glory should be revealed. 
Death had separated her from Joseph, who had shared her knowledge 
of the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Now there was no one to whom 
she could confide her hopes and fears. The past two months had been 
very sorrowful. She had been parted from Jesus, in whose sympathy 
she found comfort; she pondered upon the words of Simeon, “A sword 
shall pierce through thy own soul also ;” 1 she recalled the three days of 
agony when she thought Jesus lost to her forever; and with an anxious 
heart she awaited His return. 

At the marriage feast she meets Him, the same tender, dutiful son. 
Yet He is not the same. His countenance is changed. It bears the 
traces of His conflict in the wilderness, and a new expression of dignity 
and power gives evidence of His heavenly mission. With Him is a group 
of young men, whose eyes follow Him with reverence, and who call Him 
Master. These companions recount to Mary what they have seen and 
heard at the baptism and elsewhere. They conclude by declaring, “We 
have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write.” 2 

As the guests assemble, many seem to be pre-occupied with some topic 
of absorbing interest. A suppressed excitement pervades the company. 
Little groups converse together in eager but quiet tones, and wondering 
glances are turned upon the Son of Mary. As Mary had heard the 
disciples’ testimony in regard to Jesus, she had been gladdened with 
the assurance that her long-cherished hopes were not in vain. Yet she 
would have been more than human if there had not mingled with this holy 
joy a trace of the fond mother’s natural pride. As she saw the many 
glances bent upon Jesus, she longed to have Him prove to the company 
that He was really the Honored of God. She hoped there might be 
opportunity for Him to work a miracle before them. 

It was the custom of the times for marriage festivities to continue 
several days. On this occasion, before the feast ended it w r as found that 
the supply of wine had failed. This discovery caused much perplexity 
and regret. It was unusual to dispense with wine on festive occasions, and 
its absence would seem to indicate a want of hospitality. As a relative 
of the parties, Mary had assisted in the arrangements for the feast, and 
she now spoke to Jesus saying, “They have no wine.” These words 
1 Luke 2 :35. 2 John 1: 45. 


146 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


were a suggestion that He might supply their need. But Jesus answered, 
“Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” 

This answer, abrupt as it seems to us, expressed no coldness or 
discourtesy. The Saviour’s form of address to His mother was in 
accordance with oriental custom. It was used toward persons to whom 
it was desired to show respect. Every act of Christ’s earthly life was 
in harmony with the precept He Himself had given, “Honor thy father 



and thy mother .” 1 On the cross, in His last act of tenderness toward 
His mother, Jesus again addressed her in the same way, as He committed 
her to the care of His best-loved disciple. Both at the marriage feast 
and upon the cross, the love expressed in tone and look and manner, 
interpreted His words. 

At His visit to the temple in His boyhood, as the mystery of His 
life-work opened before Him, Christ had said to Mary, “Wist ye not 
that I must be about My father's business ?” 2 These words struck 

2 Luke 2: 49. 


1 Ex. 20:12. 



AT TIIE MARRIAGE FEAST. 


l 47 


the key-note of His whole life and ministry. Everything was held in 
abeyance to His work, the great work of redemption which He had 
come into the world to accomplish. Now He repeated the lesson. 
There was danger that Mary would regard her relationship to Jesus 
as giving her a special claim upon Him, and the right, in some degree, 
to direct Him in His mission. For thirty years He had been to her 
a loving and obedient son, and His love was unchanged; but He must 
now go about His Father’s work. As Son of the Most High, and Saviour 
of the world, no earthly ties must hold Him from His mission, or influence 
His conduct. He must stand free to do the will of God. This lesson 
is also for us. The claims of God are paramount even to the ties of 
human relationship. No earthly attraction should turn our feet from 
the path in which He bids us walk. 

The only hope of redemption for our fallen race is in Christ; Mary 
could find salvation only through the Famb of God. In herself she 
possessed no merit. Her connection with Jesus placed her in no different 
spiritual relation to Him from that of any other human soul. This is 
indicated in the Saviour’s words. He makes clear the distinction between 
His relation to her as the Son of man and as the Son of God. The tie 
of kinship between them in no way placed her on an equality with Him. 

The words, “Mine hour is not yet come,” point to the fact that every 
act of Christ’s life on earth, was in fulfilment of the plan that had existed 
from the days of eternity. Before He came to earth, the plan lay out 
before Him, perfect in all its details. But as He walked among men, 
He was guided, step by step, by the Father’s will. He did not hesitate 
to act at the appointed time. With the same submission He waited until 
the time had come. 

In saying to Maiy that His hour had not yet come, Jesus was replying 
to her unspoken thought,—to the expectation she cherished in common 
with her people. She hoped that He would reveal Himself as the Messiah, 
and take the throne of Israel. But the time had not come. Not as a 
King, but as a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, had Jesus 
accepted the lot of humanity. 

But though Mary had not a right conception of Christ’s mission, she 
trusted Him implicitly. To this faith Jesus responded. It was to honor 
Mary’s trust, and to strengthen the faith of His disciples, that the first 
miracle was performed. The disciples were to encounter many and 
great temptations to unbelief. To them the prophecies had made it 
clear beyond all controversy, that Jesus was the Messiah. They looked 
for the religious leaders to receive Him with confidence even greater 


148 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


than their own. They declared among the people the wonderful works 
of Christ and their own confidence in His mission, but they were amazed 
and bitterly disappointed by the unbelief, the deep-seated prejudice, and 
the enmity to Jesus, displayed by the priests and rabbis. The Saviour’s 
early miracles strengthened the disciples to stand against this opposition. 

In nowise disconcerted by the words of Jesus, Mary said to those 
serving at table, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” Thus she 
did what she could to prepare the way for the work of Christ. 

Beside the doorway stood six large stone water-jars, and Jesus bade 
the servants fill these with water. It was done. Then as the wine was 
wanted for immediate use, He said, “Draw out now, and bear unto the 
governor of the feast.” Instead of the water with which the vessels had 
been filled, there flowed forth wine. Neither the ruler of the feast nor 
the guests generally were aware that the supply of wine had failed. Upon 
tasting that which the servants brought, the ruler found it superior to 
any he had ever before drank, and very different from that served at 
the beginning of the feast. Turning to the bridegroom he said, “Every 
man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have 
well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good 
wine until now.” 

As men set forth the best wine first, then afterward that which is 
worse, so does the world with its gifts. That which it offers may please 
the eye and fascinate the senses, but it proves to be unsatisfying. The 
wine turns to bitterness, the gaiety to gloom. That which was begun 
with songs and mirth, ends in weariness and disgust. But the gifts of 
Jesus are ever fresh and new. The feast that He provides for the soul, 
never fails to give satisfaction and joy. Each new gift increases the 
capacity of the receiver to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. 
He gives grace for grace. There can be no failure of supply. If you 
abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift to-day, insures the 
reception of a richer gift to-morrow. The words of Jesus to Nathanael 
express the law of God’s dealing with the children of faith. With every 
fresh revelation of His love, He declares to the receptive heart, “Believest 
thou? thou shalt see greater things than these .” 1 

The gift of Christ to the marriage feast was a symbol. The water 
represented baptism into His death; the wine, the shedding of His blood 
for the sins of the world. The water to fill the jars was brought by 
human hands, but the word of Christ alone could impart to it life-giving 
virtue. So with the rites which point to the Saviour’s death. It is oniy 

1 John x:50. 


AT THE MARRIAGE FEAST. 


149 


by the power of Christ, working through faith, that they have efficacy to 
nourish the soul. 

The word of Christ supplied ample provision for the feast. So 
abundant is the provision of His grace to blot out the iniquities of men, 
and to renew and sustain the soul. 

At the first feast He attended with His disciples, Jesus gave them the 
cup that symbolized His work for their salvation. At the last supper 
He gave it again, in the institution of that sacred rite by which His 
death was to be shown forth “till He come .” 1 And the sorrow of the 
disciples at parting from their Lord, was comforted with the promise of 
reunion, as He said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, 
until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom .” 2 

The wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which He gave 
to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the 
grape. To this the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine 
“in the cluster,” and says, “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it .” 3 

It was Christ who in the Old Testament gave the warning to Israel, 
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived 
thereby is not wise .” 4 And He Himself provided no such beverage. 
Satan tempts men to indulgence that will becloud reason and benumb 
the spiritual perceptions, but Christ teaches us to bring the lower nature 
into subjection. His whole life was an example of self-denial, in order 
to break the power of appetite, He suffered in our behalf the severest test 
that humanity could endure. It was Christ who directed that John the 
Baptist should drink neither wine nor strong drink. It was He who 
enjoined similar abstinence upon the wife of Manoah. And He pronounced 
a curse upon the man who should put the bottle to his neighbor’s lips. 
Christ did not contradict His own teaching. The unfermented wine which 
He provided for the wedding guests was a wholesome and refreshing drink. 
Its effect was to bring the taste into harmony with a healthful appetite. 

As the guests at the feast remarked upon the quality of the wine, 
inquiries were made that drew from the servants an account of the miracle. 
The company were for a time too much amazed to think of Him who had 
performed the wonderful work. When at length they looked for Him, it 
was found that He had withdrawn so quietly as to be unnoticed even by 
His disciples. 

The attention of the company was now turned to the disciples. For 
the first time they had the opportunity of acknowledging their faith in 
Jesus. They told what they had seen and heard at the Jordan, and there 
^Matt.26:29. 3 Isa. 65:8. «Prov. 20:1. 


H Cor. 11:26. 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


150 


was kindled in many hearts the hope that God had raised up a deliverer 
for His people. The news of the miracle spread through all that region, 
and was carried to Jerusalem. With new interest the priests and elders 
searched the prophecies pointing to Christ’s coming. There w^as eager 
desire to learn the mission of this new teacher, who appeared among the 
people in so unassuming a manner. 

The ministry of Christ was in marked contrast to that of the Jewish 
elders. Their regard for tradition and formalism had destroyed all real 
freedom of thought or action. They lived in continual dread of defilement. 
To avoid contact with the “unclean,” they kept aloof, not only from the 
Gentiles, but from the majority of their own people, seeking neither to 


benefit them nor to win their friend¬ 
ship. By dwelling constantly on 
these matters, they had dwarfed their 
minds and narrowed the orbit of 
their lives. Their example encour¬ 
aged egotism and intolerance among 
all classes of the people. 



Jesus began the work of reforma¬ 
tion by coming into close sympathy 
with humanity. While He showed 
the greatest reverence for the law of 
God, He rebuked the pretentious 
piety of the Pharisees, and tried to 
free the people from the senseless 
rules that bound them. He was 
seeking to break down the barriers 


they had the oppor- L 
tunity of acknowl¬ 
edging their faith in cJesus.” Page 149. 


which separated the different classes of society, that He might bring men 
together as children of one family. His attendance at the marriage feast 
was designed to be a step toward effecting this. 

God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he 
might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be 
prepared for a special mission. But the austerity and isolation of his 
life were not an example for the people. John himself had not directed 
his hearers to forsake their former duties. He bade them give evidence 
of their repentance by faithfulness to God in the place where He had 
called them. 

Jesus reproved self-indulgence in all its forms, yet He was social in 
His nature. He accepted the hospitality of all classes, visiting the homes 
of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, and seeking to 


AT THE MARRIAGE FEAST. 


151 

elevate their thoughts from questions of commonplace life to those things 
that are spiritual and eternal. He gave no license to dissipation, and no 
shadow of worldly levity marred His conduct; yet He found pleasure in 
scenes of innocent happiness, and by His presence sanctioned the social 
gathering. A Jewish marriage was an impressive occasion, and its joy 
was not displeasing to the Son of man. By attending this feast, Jesus 
honored marriage as a divine institution. 

In both the Old and the New Testament, the marriage relation is 
employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between 
Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the 
wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He 
shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed with 
the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He 
says, “As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God 
rejoice over thee.” “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; . . . but 
thou shalt be called My Delight ; 1 . . . for the Lord delighteth in thee.” 
“He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy 
over thee with singing .” 2 When the vision of heavenly things was granted 
to John the apostle, he wrote, “I heard as it were the voice of a great 
multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty 
thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let 
us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the 
Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.” “Blessed are 
they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb .” 3 

Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be given the call to His 
kingdom. He reached the hearts of the people by going among them as 
one who desired their good. He sought them in the public streets, in 
private houses, on the boats, in the synagogue, by the" shores of the lake, 
and at the marriage feast. He met them at their daily vocations, and 
manifested an interest in their secular affairs. He carried His instruction 
into the household, bringing families in their own homes under the 
influence of His divine presence. His strong personal sympathy helped 
to win hearts. He often repaired to *the mountains for solitary prayer, 
but this was a preparation for His labor among men in active life. From 
these seasons He came forth to relieve the sick, to instruct the ignorant, 
and to break the chains from the captives of Satan. 

It was by personal contact and association that Jesus trained His 
disciples. Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the moun- 
1 Margin. 2 Isa. 62:5, 4; Zeph. 3:17. 3 Rev. 19:6, 7, 9. 


i5 2 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


tain side; sometimes beside the sea, or walking with them by the way, He 
revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He did not sermonize, 
as men do to-day. Wherever hearts were open to receive the divine 
message, He unfolded the truths of the way of salvation. He did not 
command His disciples to do this or that, but said, “Follow Me.” On 
His journeys through country and cities He took them with Him, that 
they might see how He taught the people. He linked their interest with 
His, and they united with Him in the work. 

The example of Christ in linking Himself with the interests of 
humanity should be followed by all who preach His word, and by all 
who have received the gospel of His grace. We are not to renounce 
social communion. We should not seclude ourselves from others. In 
order to reach all classes, we must meet them where they are. They will 
seldom seek us of their own accord. Not alone from the pulpit are the 
hearts of men touched by divine truth. There is another field of labor, 
humbler, it may be, but fully as promising. It is found in the home of 
the lowly, and in the mansion of the great; at the hospitable board, and 
in gatherings for innocent social enjoyment. 

As disciples of Christ we shall not mingle with the world from a mere 
love of pleasure, to unite with them in folly. Such associations can result 
only in harm. We should never give sanction to sin by our words or 
our deeds, our silence or our presence. Wherever we go, we are to 
carry Jesus with us, and to reveal to others the preciousness of our 
Saviour. But those who try to preserve their religion by hiding it within 
stone walls, lose precious opportunities of doing good. Through the 
social relations, Christianity comes in contact with the world. Every one 
who has received the divine illumination, is to brighten the pathway of 
those who know not the Light of life. 

We should all become witnesses for Jesus. Social power, sanctified 
by the grace of Christ, must be improved in winning souls to the Saviour. 
Let the world see that we are not selfishly absorbed in our own interests, 
but that we desire others to share our blessings and privileges. Let 
them see that our religion does not make us unsympathetic or exacting. 
Let all who profess to have found Christ, minister as He did for the 
benefit of men. 

We should never give to the world the false impression that Christians 
are a gloomy, unhappy people. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we 
shall see a compassionate Redeemer, and shall catch light from His 
countenance. Wherever His spirit reigns, there peace abides. And 
there will be joy also, for there is a calm, holy trust in God. 


AT THE MARRIAGE FEAST. 


153 


Christ is pleased with His followers when they show that, though 
human, they are partakers of the divine nature. They are not statues, 
but living men and women. Their hearts, refreshed by the dews of 
divine grace, open and expand to the Sun of Righteousness. The light 
that shines upon them they reflect upon others in works that are luminous 
with the love of Christ. 



10 



CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

TER this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, 
and His brethren, and His disciples; and they continued 
there not many days. And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, 
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” 

In this journey, Jesus joined one of the large companies 
that were making their way to the capital. He had not yet publicly 
announced His mission, and He mingled unnoticed with the throng. 
Upon these occasions, the coming of the Messiah, to which such promi¬ 
nence had been given by the ministry of John, was often the theme of 
conversation. The hope of national greatness was dwelt upon with 
kindling enthusiasm. Jesus knew that this hope was to be disappointed, 
for it was founded on a misinterpretation of the Scriptures. With deep 
earnestness He explained the prophecies, and tried to arouse the people 
to a closer study of God’s word. 

The Jewish leaders had instructed the people that at Jerusalem they 
were to be taught to worship God. Here during the Passover week large 
numbers assembled, coming from all parts of Palestine, and even from 
distant lands. The temple courts were filled with a promiscuous throng. 
Many were unable to bring with them the sacrifices that were to be 
offered up as typifying the one great Sacrifice. For the convenience 
This chapter is based on John 2:12-22. 



( i54) 
















IN HIS TEMPLE. 


155 



of these, animals were bought and sold in the outer court of the temple. 
Here all classes of people assembled to purchase their offerings. Here 
all foreign money was exchanged for the coin of the sanctuary. 

Every Jew was required to pay yearly a half shekel as “a ransom 
for his soul ;” 1 and the money thus collected was used for the support 
of the temple. Besides this, large-sums were brought as freewill offerings, 
to be deposited in the temple treasury. And 
it was required that all foreign coin should 
be changed for a coin called the temple 
shekel, which was accepted for the service of 
the sanctuary. The money-changing gave 
opportunity for fraud and extortion, and it 
had grown into a disgraceful traffic, which 
was a source of revenue to the priests. 

The dealers demanded exorbitant prices 
for the animals sold, and they shared their 
profits with the priests and rulers, 
who thus enriched themselves at the 
expense of the people. The wor¬ 
shipers had been taught to believe 
that if they did not offer sacrifice, the 
blessing of God would not rest on 
their children or their lands. Thus 
a high price for the animals could 
be secured; for after coming so far, 
the people would not return to their 
homes without performing the act of devotion 
for which they had come. 

A great number of sacrifices were offered 
at the time of the Passover, and the sales at 
the temple were very large. The consequent 
confusion indicated a noisy cattle market, 

rather than the sacred temple of God. There could be heard sharp 
bargaining, the lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, the cooing of 
doves, mingled with the chinking of coin and angry disputation. So 
great was the confusion that the worshipers were disturbed, and the 
words addressed to the Most High were drowned in the uproar that 
invaded the temple. The Jews were exceedingly proud of their piety. 
They rejoiced over their temple, and regarded a word spoken in its 




“Animals Were bought and 
sold in the outer court of the 
temple.’’ 


1 Ex. 30 :12-16. 



THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


156 



disfavor as blasphemy; they were very rigorous in the performance of 
ceremonies connected with it; but the love of money had overruled their 
scruples. They were scarcely aware how far they had wandered from 

the original purpose of the serv¬ 
ice instituted by God Himself. 
When the Lord de¬ 
scended upon Mount Sinai, 
the place was consecrated 
by His presence. Moses 
was commanded to put 
bounds around the mount 
and sanctify it, and the word 
of the Lord was heard in 
warning: “Take heed to 
yourselves, that ye go not 
up into the mount, or 
touch the border of it; 
whosoever toucheth the 
mount shall be surely put 
to death; there shall not an 

"The temple courts hand touch k > but he sha11 

were filled with a surely be stoned, or shot 

promiscuous throng.” .... 

Page 154. through; whether it be 

beast or man, it shall not 
live .” 1 Thus was taught the lesson that wherever God manifests His 
presence, the place is holy. The precincts of God’s temple should 
have been regarded as sacred. But in the strife for gain, all this was 
lost sight of. 

The priests and rulers were called to be the representatives of God 
to the nation; they should have corrected the abuses of the temple 
court. They should have given to the people an example of integrity 
and compassion. Instead of studying their own profit, they should have 
considered the situation and needs of the worshipers, and should have been 
ready to assist those who were not able to buy the required sacrifices. 
But this they did not do. Avarice had hardened their hearts. 

There came to this feast those who were suffering, those who were 
in want and distress. The blind, the lame, the deaf, were there. Some 
were brought on beds. Many came who were too poor to purchase the 
humblest offering for the Lord, too poor even to buy food with which to 


1 Ex. 19:12, 13. 







IN HIS TEMPLE. 


157 


satisfy their own hunger. These were greatly distressed by the statements 
of the priests. The priests boasted of their piety; they claimed to be the 
guardians of the people; but they were without sympathy or compassion. 
The poor, the sick, the dying, made their vain plea for favor. Their 
suffering awakened no pity in the hearts of the priests. 

As Jesus came into the temple. He took in the whole scene. He saw 
the unfair transactions. He saw the distress of the poor, who thought 
that without shedding of blood, there would be no forgiveness for their 
sins. He saw the .outer court of His temple converted into a place of 
unholy traffic. The sacred inclosure had become one vast exchange. 

Christ saw that something must be done. Numerous ceremonies 

were enjoined upon the people without the proper instruction as to their 
import. The worshipers offered their sacrifices without understanding that 
they were typical of the only perfect Sacrifice. And among them, 
unrecognized and unhonored, stood the One symbolized by all their 
sendee. He had given directions in regard to the offerings. He under¬ 
stood their symbolical value, and He saw that they were now perverted 
and misunderstood. Spiritual wor¬ 
ship was fast disappearing. No 
link bound the priests and 
rulers to their God. Christ’s 
work was to establish an 
altogether different wor¬ 
ship. 

With searching glance, 

Christ takes in the scene 
before Him, as He stands 
upon the steps of the tem¬ 
ple court. With prophetic 
eye He looks into futurity, 
and sees not only years, but cen¬ 
turies and ages. He sees how 
priests and rulers will turn the 
needy from their right, and forbid 
that the gospel shall be preached to 
the poor. He sees how the love of 
God will be concealed from sinners, 
and men will make merchandise of 

His grace. As He beholds the scene, indignation, authority, and power 
are expressed in His countenance. The attention of the people is 



"The money-changing 
gave opportunity for 
fraud and extortion.” 
Page 155* 


158 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


attracted to Him. The eyes of those engaged in their unholy traffic 
are riveted upon His face. They cannot withdraw their gaze. They 
feel that this man reads their inmost thoughts, and discovers their 
hidden motives. Some attempt to conceal their faces, as if their evil 
deeds were written upon their countenances, to be scanned by those 
searching eyes. 

The confusion is hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining has 
ceased. The silence becomes painful. A sense of awe overpowers the 
assembly. It is as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to 
answer for their deeds. Looking upon Christ, they behold divinity flash 
through the garb of humanity. The Majesty of heaven stands as the 
Judge will stand at the last day, — not now encircled with the glory that 
will then attend Him, but with the same power to read the soul. His 
eye sweeps over the multitude, taking in eveiy individual. His form 
seems to rise above them in commanding dignity, and a divine light 
illuminates His countenance. He speaks, and His clear, ringing voice — 
the same that upon Mount Sinai proclaimed the law that priests and 
rulers are transgressing — is heard echoing through the arches of the 
temple: “Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house 
of merchandise.” 

Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered 
up on entering the inclosure, He bids the bargaining company depart from 
the precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before 
manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. The coin 
falls, ringing sharply upon the marble pavement. None presume to 
question His authority. None dare stop to gather up their ill-gotten 
gain. Jesus does not smite them with the whip of cords, but in His 
hand that simple scourge seems terrible as a flaming sword. Officers 
of the temple, speculating priests, brokers and cattle traders, with their 
sheep and oxen, rush from the place, with the one thought of escaping 
from the condemnation of His presence. 

A panic sweeps over the multitude, who feel the overshadowing of 
His divinity. Cries of terror escape from hundreds of blanched lips. 
Even the disciples tremble. They are awestruck by the words and 
manner of Jesus, so unlike His usual demeanor. They remember that it 
is written of Him, “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up .” 1 Soon 
the tumultuous throng with their merchandise are far removed from the 
temple of the Lord. The courts are free from unholy traffic, and a deep 
silence and solemnity settles upon the scene of confusion. The presence 

1 Ps. 69:9. 



Copyright. 1898. by Pacific Press Publishing Co. 


THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE. 


“Take these things hence; 
make not My Father’s house 
an house of merchandise.” 

















IN HIS TEMPLE. 


161 


of the Lord, that of old sanctified the mount, has now made sacred the 
temple reared in His honor. 

In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as 
the Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the 
abode of the divine presence, was designed to be an object-lesson for 
Israel and for the world. From eternal ages it was God’s purpose that 
every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be 
a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity 
ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart 
of man no longer revealed the glory of the divine One. But by the 
incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God 
dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes 
again His temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be 
a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews 
had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so 
much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the 
divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the 
tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart, 
defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy thoughts. In 
cleansing the temple from the world’s buyers and sellers, Jesus announced 
His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin, — from the 
earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul. 
“The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the 
messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, 
saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming ? 
and who shall stand when He appeareth ? for He is like a refiner’s 
fire, and like fuller’s soap; and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of 
silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold 
and silver .” 1 

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of 
God dwelleth in you ? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall 
God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are .” 2 No 
man can of himself cast out the evil throng that have taken possession of 

the heart. Only Christ can cleanse the soul temple. But He will not 

force an entrance. He comes not into the heart as to the temple of old; 
but He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear 
My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him .” 3 He will come, 

not for one day merely; for He says, “I will dwell in them, and walk in 

them; . . . and they shall be My people.” “He will subdue our 

1 Mai. 3 :1-3.. 2 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. 


3 Rev. 3:20. 


162 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 1 
His presence will cleanse and sanctify the soul, so that it may be a holy 
temple unto the Lord, and “an habitation of God through the Spirit.’ 

Overpowered with terror, the priests and rulers had fled from the 
temple court, and from the searching glance that read their hearts. In 
their flight they met others on their way to the temple, and bade them 
turn back, telling them what they had seen and heard. Christ looked 
upon the fleeing men with yearning pity for their fear, and their ignorance 
of what constituted true worship. In this scene He saw symbolized 
the dispersion of the whole Jewish nation for their wickedness and 
impenitence. 

And why did the priests flee from the temple? Why did they not 
stand their ground ? He who commanded them to go was a carpenter’s 
son, a poor Galilean, without earthly rank or power. Why did they not 
resist Him ? Why did they leave the gain so ill acquired, and flee at the 
command of one whose outward appearance was so humble ? 

Christ spoke with the authority of a king, and in His appearance, and 
in the tones of His voice, there was that which they had no power to 
resist. At the word of command they realized, as they had never realized 
before, their true position as hypocrites and robbers. When divinity 
flashed through humanity, not only did they see indignation on Christ’s 
countenance; they realized the import of His words. They felt as if 
before the throne of the eternal Judge, with their sentence passed on them 
for time and for eternity. For a time they were convinced that Christ was 
a prophet; and many believed Him to be the Messiah. The Holy Spirit 
flashed into their minds the utterances of the prophets concerning Christ. 
Would they yield to this conviction ? 

Repent they would not. They knew that Christ’s sympathy for the 
poor had been aroused. They knew that they had been guilty of extortion 
in their dealings with the people. Because Christ discerned their thoughts 
they hated Him. His public rebuke was humiliating to their pride, and 
they were jealous of His growing influence with the people. They 
determined to challenge Him as to the power by which He had driven 
them forth, and who gave Him this power. 

Slowly and thoughtfully, but with hate in their hearts, they returned 
to the temple. But what a change had taken place during their absence. 
When they fled, the poor remained behind; and these were now looking 
to Jesus, whose countenance expressed His love and sympathy. With 
tears in His eyes, He said to the trembling ones around Him, Fear not; 

1 2 Cor. 6:16; Micah 7:19. 2 Eph: 2 :21, 22. 


IN HIS TEMPLE. 163 

I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. For this cause came I 
into the world. 

The people pressed into Christ’s presence with urgent, pitiful appeals, 
Master, bless me. His ear heard every cry. With pity exceeding that 
of a tender mother, He bent over the suffering little ones. All received 
attention. Every one was healed of whatever disease he had. The dumb 
opened their lips in praise; the blind beheld the face of their Restorer. 
The hearts of the sufferers were made glad. 

As the priests and temple officials witnessed this great work, what a 
revelation to them were the sounds that fell on their ears. The people 
were relating the story of the pain they 
had suffered, of their disappointed hopes, of 
painful days and sleepless nights. When 
the last spark of hope seemed to be dead, 

Christ had healed them. The burden 
was so heavy, one said; but I have found 
a Helper. He is the Christ of God, and I 
will devote my life to His service. Parents 
said to their children, He has saved your 
life; lift up your voice and praise Him. 

The voices of children and youth, fathers 
and mothers, friends and spectators, blended 
in thanksgiving and praise. Hope and 
gladness filled their hearts. Peace came 
to their minds. They were restored soul 
and body, and they returned home, pro¬ 
claiming everywhere the matchless love of Jc 

At the crucifixion of Christ, those who 
thus been healed did not join with the ra 
throng in crying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Their sympathies were 
with Jesus; for they had felt His great sympathy and wonderful power. 
They knew Him to be their Saviour; for He had given them health of 
body and soul. They listened to the preaching of the apostles, and the 
entrance of God’s word into their hearts gave them understanding. They 
became agents of God’s mercy, and instruments of His salvation. 

The crowd that had fled from the temple court, after a time slowly 
drifted back. They had partially recovered from the panic that had seized 
them, but their faces expressed irresolution and timidity. They looked 
with amazement on the works of Jesus, and were convicted that in Him 
the prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled. The sin of the 





164 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


desecration of the temple rested, in a great degree, upon the priests. It 
was by their arrangement that the court had been turned into a market¬ 
place. The people were comparatively innocent. They were impressed 
by the divine authority of Jesus; but with them the influence of the 
priests and rulers was paramount. They regarded Christ’s mission as an 
innovation, and questioned His right to interfere with what was permitted 
by the authorities of the temple. They were offended because the traffic 
had been interrupted, and they stifled the convictions of the Holy Spirit 

Above all others the priests and rulers should have seen in Jesus the 
anointed of the Lord; for in their hands were the sacred scrolls that 
described His mission, and they knew that the cleansing of the temple 
was a manifestation of more than human power. Much as they hated 
Jesus, they could not free themselves from the thought that He might be 
a prophet sent by God to restore the sanctity of the temple. With a 
deference born of this fear, they went to Him with the inquiry, “What 
sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things?” 

Jesus had shown them a sign. In flashing light into their hearts, and 
in doing before them the works which the Messiah was to do, He had 
given convincing evidence of His character. Now when they asked for a 
sign, He answered them by a parable, showing that He read their malice, 
and saw to what lengths it would lead them. “Destroy this temple,” He 
said, “and in three days I will raise it up.” 

In these words His meaning was twofold. He referred not only 
to the destruction of the Jewish temple and worship, but to His own 
death, — the destruction of the temple of His body. This the Jews were 
already plotting. As the priests and rulers returned to the temple, 
they had proposed to kill Jesus, and thus rid themselves of the troubler. 
Yet when He set before them their purpose, they did not understand 
Him. They took His words as applying only to the temple at Jerusalem, 
and with indignation exclaimed, “Forty and six years was this temple 
in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days?” Now they felt 
that Jesus had justified their unbelief, and they were confirmed in their 
rejection of Him. 

Christ did not design that His words should be understood by the 
unbelieving Jews, nor even by His disciples at this time. He knew 
that they would be misconstrued by His enemies, and would be turned 
against Him. At His trial they would be brought as an accusation, 
and on Calvary they would be flung at Him as a taunt. But to explain 
them now would give His disciples a knowledge of His sufferings, and 
bring upon them sorrow which as yet they were not able to bear. And 


IN HIS TEMPLE. 


l5 5 

an explanation would prematurely disclose to the Jews the result of their 
prejudice and unbelief. Already they had entered upon a path which they 
would steadily pursue until He should be led as a lamb to the slaughter. 

It was for the sake of those who should believe on Him that these 
words of Christ were spoken. He knew that they would be repeated. 
Being spoken at the Passover, they would come to the ears of thousands, 
and be carried to all parts of the world. After He had risen from the 
dead, their meaning would be made plain. To many they would be 
conclusive evidence of His divinity. 

Because of their spiritual darkness, even the disciples of Jesus often 
failed of comprehending His lessons. But many of these lessons were 
made plain to them by subsequent events. When He walked no more 
with them, His words were a stay to their hearts. 

As referring to the temple at Jerusalem, the Saviour’s words, “Destroy 
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” had a deeper meaning 
than the hearers perceived. Christ was the foundation and life of the 
temple. Its services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. 
The priesthood was established to represent the mediatorial character and 
work of Christ. The entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing 
of the Saviour’s death to redeem the world. There would be no efficacy 
in these offerings when the great event toward which they had pointed for 
ages was consummated. 

Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no 
value apart from Him. When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by 
delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the 
temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to 
destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected 
with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not 
express faith in the Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews 
virtually destroyed their temple. When Christ was crucified, the inner 
veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, signifying that 
the great final sacrifice had been made, and that the system of sacrificial 
offerings was forever at an end. 

“In three days I will raise it up.” In the Saviour’s death the powers 
of darkness seemed to prevail, and they exulted in their victory. But from 
the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Jesus came forth a conqueror. “Having 
spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, 
triumphing over them .” 1 By virtue of His death and resurrection He 
became the minister of the “true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and 

1 Col. 2 :15. 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


I 66 

not man .” 1 Men reared the Jewish tabernacle; men builded the Jewish 
temple; but the sanctuary above, of which the earthly was a type, was 
built by no human architect. “Behold the Man whose name is The 
Branch; . . * He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall 

bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be 
a priest upon His throne .” 2 

The sacrificial service that had pointed to Christ passed away; but the 
eyes of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. 
The earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to Jesus, the minister of 
the new covenant, and “to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better 
things than that of Abel.” “The way into the holiest of all was not yet 
made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing; . . . but 

Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater 
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, . . . by His own 

blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal 
redemption for us .” 3 

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come 
unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them .” 4 
Though the ministration was to be removed from the earthly to the 
heavenly temple; though the sanctuary and our great high priest would 
be invisible to human sight, yet the disciples were to suffer no loss 
thereby. They would realize no break in their communion, and no 
diminution of power because of the Saviour’s absence. While Jesus 
ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister 
of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but 
His parting promise is fulfilled, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world .” 5 While He delegates His power to inferior » 
ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church. 

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, . . . Jesus, the 

Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high 
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but 
was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore 
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and 
find grace to help in time of need .” 6 

1 Heb. 8: 2. 2 Zech. 6:12, 13. 3 Heb. 12 : 24; 9: 8-12. < Heb. 7:25. 

6 Matt. 28: 20. 6 Heb 4 :14-16. 



'ODEMUS held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. 
He was highly educated, and possessed talents of no ordinary 
character, and he was an honored member of the national 
council. With others, he had been stirred by the teaching 
of Jesus. Though rich, learned, and honored, he had been 
strangely attracted by the humble Nazarene. The lessons that had fallen 
from the Saviour’s lips had greatly impressed him, and he desired to learn 
more of these wonderful truths. 

Christ’s exercise of authority in the cleansing of the temple had roused 
the determined hatred of the priests and rulers. They feared the power 
of this stranger. Such boldness on the part of an obscure Galilean was 
not to be tolerated. They were bent on putting an end to His work. 
But not all were agreed in this purpose. There were some that feared 
to oppose one who was so evidently moved upon by the Spirit of God. 
They remembered how prophets had been slain for rebuking the sins 
of the leaders in Israel. They knew that the bondage of the Jews to a 
heathen nation was the result of their stubbornness in rejecting reproofs 
from God. They feared that in plotting against Jesus, the priests and 
rulers were following in the steps of their fathers, and would bring fresh 
calamities upon the nation. Nicodemus shared these feelings. In a 
council of the Sanhedrim, when the course to be pursued toward Jesus 
This chapter is based on John 3 : 1-17. 



(167) 















THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


I 68 

was considered, Nicodemus advised caution and moderation. He urged 
that if Jesus was really invested with authority from God, it would be 
perilous to reject His warnings. The priests dared not disregard this 
counsel, and for the time they took no open measures against the 
Saviour. 

Since hearing Jesus, Nicodemus had anxiously studied the prophecies 
relating to the Messiah; and the more he searched, the stronger was his 
conviction that this was the One who was to come. With many others 
in Israel he had been greatly distressed by the profanation of the temple. 
He was a witness of the scene when Jesus drove out the buyers and the 
sellers; he beheld the wonderful manifestation of divine power; he saw 
the Saviour receiving the poor and healing the sick; he saw their looks 
of joy, and heard their words of praise; and he could not doubt that 
Jesus of Nazareth was the Sent of God. 

He greatly desired an interview with Jesus, but shrank from seeking 
Him openly. It would be too humiliating for a ruler of the Jews to 
acknowledge himself in sympathy with a teacher as yet so little known. 
And should his visit come to the knowledge of the Sanhedrim, it would 
draw upon him their scorn and denunciation. He resolved upon a secret 
interview, excusing this on the ground that if he were to go openly, 
others might follow his example. Learning by special inquiry the 
Saviour’s place of retirement in the Mount of Olives, he waited until 
the city was hushed in slumber, and then sought Him. 

In the presence of Christ, Nicodemus felt a strange timidity, which he 
endeavored to conceal under an air of composure and dignity. “Rabbi,” 
he said, “we know that Thou art a teacher come from God; for no man 
can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him.” By 
speaking of Christ’s rare gifts as a teacher, and also of His wonderful 
power to perform miracles, he hoped to pave the way for his interview. 
His words were designed to express and to invite confidence; but they 
really expressed unbelief. He did not acknowledge Jesus to be the 
Messiah, but only a teacher sent from God. 

Instead of recognizing this salutation, Jesus bent His eyes upon the 
speaker, as if reading his very soul. In His infinite wisdom He saw before 
Him a seeker after truth. He knew the object of this visit, and with 
a desire to deepen the conviction already resting upon His listener’s 
mind, He came directly to the point, saying solemnly, yet kindly, “Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he cannot see 
the kingdom of God .” 1 


1 Margin. 



■HI 




















NICODEMUS. 


171 

Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion 
with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said 
to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need, so much as 
spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, 
but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above, before 
you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change takes place, 
making all things new, it will result in no saving good for you to discuss 
with Me My authority or My mission. 

Nicodemus had heard the preaching of John the Baptist concerning 
repentance and baptism, and pointing the people to One who should 
baptize with the Holy Spirit. He himself had felt that there was a lack 
of spirituality among the Jews; that, to a great degree, they were 
controlled by bigotry and worldly ambition. He had hoped for a better 
state of things at the Messiah’s coming. Yet the heart-searching message 
of the Baptist had failed to work in him conviction of sin. He was a 
strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good works. He was widely 
esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in sustaining the temple 
service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at the 
thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. 

The figure of the new birth, which Jesus had used, was not wholly 
unfamiliar to Nicodemus. Converts from heathenism to the faith of Israel 
were often compared to children just born. Therefore he must have 
perceived that the words of Christ were not to be taken in a literal sense. 
But by virtue of his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of 
a place in the kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. 
Hence his surprise at the Saviour’s words. He was irritated by their close 
application to himself. The pride of the Pharisee was struggling against 
the honest desire of the seeker after truth. He wondered that Christ 
should speak to him as He did, not respecting his position as ruler 
in Israel. 

Surprised out of his self-possession, he answered Christ in words full 
of irony, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Like many others 
when cutting truth is brought home to the conscience, he revealed the 
fact that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. 
There is in him nothing that responds to spiritual things; for spiritual 
things are spiritually discerned. 

But the Saviour did not meet argument with argument. Raising His 
hand with solemn, quiet dignity, He pressed the truth home with greater 
assurance, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of 
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 


I 7 2 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Nicodemus knew that Christ here referred to water baptism, and the 
renewing of the heart by the Spirit of God. He was convinced that he 
was in the presence of the One whom John the Baptist had foretold. 

Jesus continued: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that 
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’’ By nature the heart is evil, and 
“who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one .” 1 No human 
invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. “The carnal mind is 
enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed 
can be.” “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, 
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies .” 2 The fountain of the 
heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is 
trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting 
an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal 
religion, a form of godliness. The Christian’s life is not a modification or 
improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a 
death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be 
brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. 

Nicodemus was still perplexed, and Jesus used the wind to illustrate 
His meaning: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the 
sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: 
so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” 

The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves 
and flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows whence it comes, or 
whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. 
It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. A 
person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the 
circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him 
to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is 
constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously 
to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. 
These may be received through meditating upon Him, through reading 
the Scriptures, or through hearing the word from the living preacher. 
Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly 
surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion; 
but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God, — a patient, 
protracted process. 

While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and 
felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every 
act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes 
1 Job 14:4. 2 Rom. 8:7; Matt. 15:19. 


NICODEMUS. 


173 


possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put 
away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place 
of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the 
countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that 
lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. 
The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. 
Then that power which no human eye can see, creates a new being in 
the image of God. 

It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. 
Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to 
life realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning of redemption we 
may know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through 
the eternal ages. 

While Jesus was speaking, some gleams of truth penetrated the ruler’s 
mind. The softening, subduing influence of the Holy Spirit impressed 
his heart. Yet he did not fully understand the Saviour’s words. He 
was not so much impressed by the necessity of the new birth as by the 
manner of its accomplishment. He said wonderingly, “How can these 
things be?” 

“Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” Jesus 
asked. Surely one entrusted with the religious instruction of the people 
should not be ignorant of truths so important. His words conveyed the 
lesson that instead of feeling irritated over the plain words of truth, 
Nicodemus should have had a very humble opinion of himself, because 
of his spiritual ignorance. Yet Christ spoke with such solemn dignity, 
and both look and tone expressed such earnest love, that Nicodemus was 
not offended as he realized his humiliating condition. 

But as Jesus explained that His mission on earth was to establish a 
spiritual instead of a temporal kingdom, His hearer was troubled. Seeing 
this, Jesus added, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, 
how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” If Nicodemus 
could not receive Christ’s teaching, illustrating the work of grace upon 
the heart, how could he comprehend the nature of His glorious heavenly 
kingdom? Not discerning the nature of Christ’s work on earth, he could 
not understand His work in heaven. 

The Jews whom Jesus had driven from the temple, claimed to be 
children of Abraham, but they fled from the Saviour’s presence because 
they could not endure the glory of God which was manifested in Him. 
Thus they gave evidence that they were not fitted by the grace of God 
to participate in the sacred services of the temple. They were zealous to 
11 


174 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


maintain an appearance of holiness, but they neglected holiness of heart. 
While they were sticklers for the letter of the law, they were constantly 
violating its spirit. Their great need was that very change which Christ 
had been explaining to Nicodemus, — a new moral birth, a cleansing from 
sin, and a renewing of knowledge and holiness. 

There was no excuse for the blindness of Israel in regard to the work 
of regeneration. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah had 
written, “We are all as an unclean thing, and 
all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” 

David had prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, 

O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” 

And through Ezekiel the promise had been 
given, “A new heart also will I give 
you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you; and I will take away the 
stony heart out of your flesh, and I 
will give you an heart of flesh. And 
I will put My Spirit within you, and 
cause you to walk in My statutes .” 1 

Nicodemus had read these scrip¬ 
tures with a clouded mind; but he 
now began to comprehend their 
meaning. He saw that the most 
rigid obedience to the mere letter of 
the law as applied to the outward 
life, could entitle no man to enter 
the kingdom of heaven. In the es¬ 
timation of men, his life had been 
just and honorable; but in the presence of Christ he felt that his heart 
was unclean, and his life unholy. 

Nicodemus was being drawn to Christ. As the Saviour explained to 
him concerning the new birth, he longed to have this change wrought 
in himself. By what means could it be accomplished? Jesus answered 
the unspoken question: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in 
Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” 

Here was ground with which Nicodemus was familiar. The symbol 
of the uplifted serpent made plain to him the Saviour’s mission. When 
the people of Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents, God 
1 Isa. 64 : 6; Ps. 51:10; Eze. 36: 26, 27. 



‘‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in 
the wilderness, even so must the Son of 
man be lifted up.” 






NICODEMUS. 


1 75 


directed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the 
midst of the congregation. Then the word was sounded throughout 
the encampment that all who would look upon the serpent should live. 
T he people well knew that in itself the serpent had no power to help them. 
It was a symbol of Christ. As the image made in the likeness of the 
destroying serpents was lifted up for their healing, so One made “in 
the likeness of sinful flesh ” 1 was to be their Redeemer. Many of the 
Israelites regarded the sacrificial service as having in itself virtue to 
set them free from sin. God desired to teach them that it had no more 
value than that serpent of brass. It was to lead their minds to the 
Saviour. Whether for the healing of their wounds or the pardon of their 
sins, they could do nothing for themselves but show their faith in the Gift 
of God. They were to look and live. 

Those who had been bitten by the serpents might have delayed to 
look. They might have questioned how there could be efficacy in that 
brazen symbol. They might have demanded a scientific explanation. But 
no explanation was given. They must accept the word of God to them 
through Moses. To refuse to look, was to perish. 

Not through controversy and discussion is the soul enlightened. We 
must look and live. Nicodemus received the lesson, and carried it with 
him. He searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion 
of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see 
the kingdom of heaven as he submitted himself to the leading of the 
Holy Spirit. 

There are thousands to-day who need to learn the same truth that was 
taught to Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent. They depend on their 
obedience to the law of God to commend them to His favor. When they 
are bidden to look to Jesus, and believe that He saves them solely through 
His grace, they exclaim, “How can these things be?” 

Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same 
way as the chief of sinners. Than Christ, “there is none other name 
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved .” 2 Through 
faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns 
nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate 
His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the 
aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, “Him hath God 
exalted with His right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give 
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins .” 3 Repentance comes from 
Christ as truly as does pardon. 

1 Rom. 8 : 3. 


2 Acts 4 :12. 


3 Acts 5:31. 


176 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


How, then, are we to be saved?—“As Moses lifted up the serpent 
in the wilderness,” so the Son of man has been lifted up, and every¬ 
one who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent, may look and 
live. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
world .” 1 The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. 
His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, 
we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that 
have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces 
a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedi¬ 
ence to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the 
image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then 
the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with 
Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God .” 2 

In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation, 
and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did 
He explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the 
hearts of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven. At the very 
beginning of His ministry He opened the truth to a member of the 
Sanhedrim, to the mind that was most receptive, and to an appointed 
teacher of the people. But the leaders of Israel did not welcome the 
light. Nicodemus hid the truth in his heart, and for three years there 
was little apparent fruit. 

But Jesus was acquainted with the soil into which He cast the seed. 
The words spoken at night to one listener in the lonely mountain were 
not lost. For a time Nicodemus did not publicly acknowledge Christ, 
but he watched His life, and pondered His teachings. In the Sanhedrim 
council he repeatedly thwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy Him. 
When at last Jesus was lifted up on the cross, Nicodemus remembered 
the teaching upon Olivet: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder¬ 
ness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth 
in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The light from that 
secret interview illumined the cross upon Calvary, and Nicodemus saw 
in Jesus the world’s Redeemer. 

After the Lord’s ascension, when the disciples were scattered by perse¬ 
cution, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. He employed his wealth 
in sustaining the infant church that the Jews had expected to be blotted 
out at the death of Christ. In the time of peril he who had been so 
cautious and questioning, was firm as a rock, encouraging the faith of the 
disciples, and furnishing means to carry forward the work of the gospel. 

1 John 1:29. 2 Ps. 40 :8. 


NICODEMUS. 


177 


He was scorned and persecuted by those who had paid him reverence 
in other days. He became poor in this world’s goods; yet he faltered 
not in the faith which had its beginning in that night conference 
with Jesus. 

Nicodemus related to John the story of that interview, and by his 
pen it was recorded for the instruction of millions. The truths there 
taught are as important to-day as they were on that solemn night in 
the shadowy mountain, when the Jewish ruler came to learn the way of 
i life from the lowly Teacher of Galilee. 






I OR a time the Baptist’s influence over the nation had been 
greater than that of its rulers, priests, or princes. If he had 
announced himself as the Messiah, and raised a revolt against 
Rome, priests and people would have flocked to his standard. 

Every consideration that appeals to the ambition of the world’s 
conquerors, Satan had stood ready to urge upon John the Baptist. But 
with the evidence before him of his power, he had steadfastly refused 
the splendid bribe. The attention which was fixed upon him, he had 
directed to Another. 

Now he saw the tide of popularity turning away from himself to the 
Saviour. Day by day the crowds about him lessened. When Jesus came 
from Jerusalem to the region about Jordan, the people flocked to hear 
Him. The number of His disciples increased daily. Many came for 
baptism, and while Christ Himself did not baptize, He sanctioned the 
administration of the ordinance by His disciples. Thus He set His seal 
upon the mission of His forerunner. But the disciples of John looked 
with jealousy upon the growing popularity of Jesus. They stood ready 
to criticize His work, and it was not long before they found occasion. 
A question arose between them and the Jews as to whether baptism 
availed to cleanse the soul from sin; they maintained that the baptism 
of Jesus differed essentially from that of John. Soon they were in dispute 
with Christ’s disciples in regard to the form of words proper to use at 
baptism, and finally as to the right of the latter to baptize at all. 

The disciples of John came to him with their grievances, saying, 
“Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest 
witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to Him.” Through 
This chapter is based on John 3:22-36. 


( 178 ) 
























HE MUST INCREASE. 


179 


with the dissatisfaction of his disciples, but showed how clearly he under¬ 
stood his relation to the Messiah, and how gladly he welcomed the One 
for w'hom he had prepared the way. 

He said, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from 
heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the 
Christ, but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is 
the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and 
heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.” John 
represented himself as the friend who acted as a messenger between the 



these words, Satan brought temptation upon John. Though John’s mission 
seemed about to close, it was still possible for him to hinder the work 
of Christ. If he had sympathized with himself, and expressed grief 
or disappointment at being superseded, he would have sown the seeds of 
dissension, would have encouraged envy and jealousy, and would seriously 
have impeded the progress of the gospel. 

John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity, 
but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in an 

atmosphere uncontaminated with 
selfishness and ambition, and far 
above the miasma of jealousy. 
He manifested no sympathy 


1 The disciples of dohn 
came to him v/ith their 
grievances-” 



i8o 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


betrothed parties, preparing the way for the marriage. When the bride¬ 
groom had received his bride, the mission of the friend was fulfilled. He 
rejoiced in the happiness of those whose union he had promoted. So 
John had been called to direct the people to Jesus, and it was his joy to 
witness the success of the Saviour’s work. He said, “This my joy 
therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” 

Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the height of 
self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to himself, but to lift their 
thoughts higher and still higher, until they should rest upon the Lamb of 
God. He himself had been only a voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now 
with joy he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be 
turned to the Light of life. 

Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God, will not 
seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love 
for Christ. No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the gospel. They 
will recognize that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist, 
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world .” 1 
They will lift up Jesus, and with Him humanity will be lifted up. “Thus 
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: 
I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and 
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of 
the contrite ones .” 2 

The soul of the prophet, emptied of self, was filled with the light of 
the divine. As he witnessed to the Saviour’s glory, his words were almost 
a counterpart of those that Christ Himself had spoken in His interview 
with Nicodemus. John said, “He that cometh from above is above all: 
he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that 
cometh from heaven is above all. . . . For He whom God hath sent 
speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure 
unto Him.” Christ could say, “I seek not Mine own will, but the will 
of the Father which hath sent Me.” To Him it is declared, “Thou hast 
loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, 
hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows .” 3 The 
Father “giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” 

So with the followers of Christ. We can receive of heaven’s light 
only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We cannot discern 
the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent 
to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of 
Christ. To all who do this, the Holy Spirit is given without measure. 
l Johni:29. 2 Isa.57:15. 3 John 5:30; Heb. 1:9. 


HE MUST INCREASE. 


181 


In Christ “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him 
ye are made full .” 1 

I he disciples of John had declared that all men were coming to Christ; 
but with clearer insight, John said, ‘‘No man receiveth His witness;” so 
few were ready to accept Him as the Saviour from sin. But ‘‘he that hath 
received His witness hath set his seal to this, that God is true .” 2 “He 
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” No need of disputation 
as to whether Christ’s baptism or John’s purified from sin. It is the grace 
of Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from Christ, baptism, like an)' 
other service, is a worthless form. “He that believeth not the Son shall 
not see life.” 

The success of Christ’s work, which the Baptist had received with such 
joy, was reported also to the authorities at Jerusalem. The priests and 
rabbis had been jealous of John’s influence as they saw the people leaving 
the synagogues and flocking to the wilderness; but here was One who had 
still greater power to attract the multitudes. Those leaders in Israel were 
not willing to say with John, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” 
They arose with a new determination to put an end to the work that was 
drawing the people away from them. 

Jesus knew that they would spare no effort to create a division between 
His own disciples and those of John. He knew that the storm was 
gathering which would sweep away one of the greatest prophets ever 
given to the world. Wishing to avoid all occasion for misunderstanding 
or dissension, He quietly ceased His labors, and withdrew to Galilee. We 
also, while loyal to truth, should try to avoid all that may lead to discord 
and misapprehension. For whenever these arise, they result m the loss 
of souls. Whenever circumstances occur that threaten to cause division, 
we should follow the example of Jesus and of John the Baptist. 

John had been called to lead out as a reformer. Because of this, his 
disciples were in danger of fixing their attention upon him, feeling that 
the success of the work depended upon his labors, and losing sight of the 
fact that he was only an instrument through which God had wrought. 
But the work of John was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the 
Christian church. When he had fulfilled his mission, another work was 
to be done, which his testimony could not accomplish. His disciples 
did not understand this. When they saw Christ coming in to take the 
work, they were jealous and dissatisfied. 

The same dangers still exist. God calls a man to do a certain work; 
and w'hen he has carried it as far as he is qualified to take it, the Lord 
'Col. 2:9, 10, R. V. 


! R. V. 


182 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


brings in others, to carry it still farther. But, like John’s disciples, many 
feel that the success of the work depends on the first laborer. Attention 
is fixed upon the human instead of the divine, jealousy comes in, and the 
work of God is marred. The one thus unduly honored is tempted to 
cherish self-confidence. He does not realize his dependence on God. 
The people are taught to rely on man for guidance, and thus they fall 
into error, and are led away from God. 

The W'ork of God is not to bear the image and superscription of man. 
From time to time the Lord will bring in different agencies, through whom 
His purpose can best be accomplished. Happy are they who are willing 
for self to be humbled, saying with John the Baptist, “He must increase, 
but I must decrease." 




the way to Galilee Jesus passed through Samaria. It was 
noon when He reached the beautiful vale of Shechem. At 
the opening of this valley was Jacob’s well. Wearied with 
His journey, He sat down here to rest while His disciples 
went to buy food. 

The Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, and as far as possible 
avoided all dealing with each other. To trade with the Samaritans in case 
of necessity was indeed counted lawful by the rabbis; but all social inter¬ 
course with them was condemned. A Jew would not borrow from a 
Samaritan, nor receive a kindness, not even a morsel of bread or a cup 
of water. The disciples, in buying food, were acting in harmony with 
the custom of their nation. But beyond this they did not go. To ask a 
favor of the Samaritans, or in any way seek to benefit them, did not enter 
into the thought of even Christ’s disciples. 

As Jesus sat by the well-side, He was faint from hunger and thirst. 
The journey since morning had been long, and now the sun of noontide 
beat upon Him. His thirst was increased by the thought of the cool, 
refreshing water so near, yet inaccessible to Him ; for He had no rope 
nor water-jar, and the well was deep. The lot of humanity was His, 
and He waited for some one to come to draw. 

A woman of Samaria approached, and seeming unconscious of His 
presence, filled her pitcher with water. As she turned to go away, 
Jesus asked her for a drink. Such a favor no oriental would withhold. 
In the East, water was called “the gift of God.” To offer a drink to 
the thirsty traveler was held to be a duty so sacred that the Arabs 
This chapter is based on John 4:1-42. 



( 183 ) 














184 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


of the desert would go out of their way in order to perform it. The 
hatred between Jews and Samaritans prevented the woman from offering 
a kindness to Jesus; but the Saviour was seeking to find the key to 
this heart, and with the tact born of divine love, He asked, not offered, 
a favor. The offer of a kindness might have been rejected; but trust 
awakens trust. The King of heaven came to this outcast soul, asking a 
service at her hands. He who made the ocean, who controls the waters 
of the great deep, who opened the springs and channels of the earth, 
rested from His weariness at Jacob’s well, and was dependent upon a 
stranger’s kindness for even the gift of a drink of water. 

The woman saw that Jesus was a Jew. In her surprise she forgot 
to grant His request, but tried to learn the reason for it. “How is it,” 
she said, “that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a 
woman of Samaria?” 

Jesus answered, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that 
saith to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of Him, and 
He would have given thee living water.” You wonder that I should ask 
of you even so small a favor as a draught of water from the well at 
our feet. Had you asked of Me, I would have given you to drink 
of the water of everlasting life. 

The woman had not comprehended the words of Christ, but she felt 
their solemn import. Her light, bantering manner began to change. 
Supposing that Jesus spoke of the well before them, she said, “Sir, 
Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; from whence 
then hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father 
Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself?” She saw 
before her only a thirsty traveler, wayworn and dusty. In her mind 
she compared Him with the honored patriarch Jacob. She cherished 
the feeling which is so natural, that no other well could be equal to 
that provided by the fathers. She was looking backward to the fathers, 
forward to the Messiah’s coming, while the Hope of the fathers, the 
Messiah Himself, was beside her, and she knew Him not. How many 
thirsting souls are to-day close by the living fountain, yet looking far 
away for the wellsprings of life! “Say not in thine heart, Who shall 
ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above); or, 
Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again 
from the dead.) . . . The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, 

and in thy heart. ... If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the 
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him 
from the dead, thou shalt be saved .” 1 

1 Rom. 10:6-9. 




ssr if 


-- 




fh ■- 


r 






■ 



















at Jacob’s well. 


187 


Jesus did not immediately answer the question in regard to Himself, 
but with solemn earnestness He said, “Whosoever drinketh of this water 
shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him 
a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world, 
will drink only to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They 
long for something to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet 
that want. The need of the world, “the desire of all nations,” is Christ. 
The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, 
refreshing, and invigorating the soul. 

Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draught of the water 
of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ 
will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, 
honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant 
cry of his heart is, “More of Thee.” And He who reveals to the soul 
its necessity, is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human 
resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the 
pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We 
may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom 
Christ dwells, has within himself the fountain of blessing, — “a well of 
water springing up into everlasting life.” From this source he may draw 
strength and grace sufficient for all his needs. 

As Jesus spoke of the living water, the woman looked upon Him 
with wondering attention. He had aroused her interest, and awakened 
a desire for the gift of which He spoke. She perceived that it was not 
the water of Jacob’s well to which He referred; for of this she used 
continually, drinking, and thirsting again. “Sir,” she said, “give me this 
water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” 

Jesus now abruptly turned the conversation. Before this soul could 
receive the gift He longed to bestow, she must be brought to recognize 
her sin and her Saviour. He “saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and 
come hither.” She answered, “I have no husband.” Thus she hoped 
to prevent all questioning in that direction. But the Saviour continued, 
“Thou hast well said, I have no husband; for thou hast had five 
husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that 
saidst thou truly.” 

The listener trembled. A mysterious hand was turning the pages of 
her life history, bringing to view that which she had hoped to keep forever 
hidden. Who was He that could read the secrets of her life ? There 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


188 

came to her thoughts of eternity, of the future Judgment, when all that 
is - now hidden shall be revealed. In its light, conscience was awakened. 

She could deny nothing; but she tried to evade all mention of a 
subject so unwelcome. With deep reverence, she said, “ Sir, dR perceive 
that Thou art a prophet.” Then, hoping to silence conviction, she turned 
to points of religious controversy. If this was a prophet, surely He could 
give her instruction concerning these matters that had been so long 
disputed. 

Patiently Jesus permitted her to lead the conversation whither she 
would. Meanwhile He watched for the opportunity of again bringing the 
truth home to her heart. “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain,” 
she said, “and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to 
worship.” Just in sight was Mount Gerizim. Its temple was demolished, 
and only the altar remained. The place of worship had been a subject of 
contention between the Jews and the Samaritans. Some of the ancestors 
of the latter people had once belonged to Israel; but because of their 
sins, the Lord suffered them to be overcome by an idolatrous nation. 
For many generations they were intermingled with idolaters, whose 
religion gradually contaminated their own. It is true they held that 
their idols were only to remind them of the living God, the Ruler of 
the universe; nevertheless the people were led to reverence their graven 
images. 

When the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt in the days of Ezra, the 
Samaritans wished to join the Jews in its erection. This privilege was 
refused them, and a bitter animosity sprung up between the two peoples. 
The Samaritans built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Here they 
worshiped in accordance with the Mosaic ritual, though they did not 
wholly renounce idolatry. But disasters attended them, their temple was 
destroyed by their enemies, and they seemed to be under a curse; yet 
they still clung to their traditions and their forms of worship. They 
would not acknowledge the temple at Jerusalem as the house of God, nor 
admit that the religion of the Jews was superior to their own. 

In answer to the woman, Jesus said, “Believe Me, the hour cometh, 
when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the 
Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; 
for salvation is of the Jews.” Jesus had shown that He was free from 
Jewish prejudice against the Samaritans. Now He sought to break down 
the prejudice of this Samaritan against the Jews. While referring to the 
fact that the faith of the Samaritans was corrupted with idolatry, He 
declared that the great truths of redemption had been committed to 


at Jacob’s well. 


189 


the Jews, and that from among them the Messiah was to appear. In the 
Sacred Writings they had a clear presentation of the character of God and 
the principles of His government. Jesus classed Himself with the Jews 
as those to whom God had given a knowledge of Himself. 

He desired- to lift the thoughts of His hearer above matters of form 
and ceremony, and questions of controversy. “The hour cometh,” He 
said, “and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in 
spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God 
is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit 
and in truth.” 

Here is declared the same truth that Jesus had revealed to Nicodemus 
when He said, “Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God .” 1 Not by seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple 
are men brought into communion with heaven. Religion is not to be 
confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from 
God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him 
aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart 
and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving 
God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This 
is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By 
the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable 
to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit’s working 
is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshipers 
He is seeking. He waits to receive them, and to make them His sons 
and daughters. 

As the woman talked with Jesus, she was impressed with His words. 
Never had she heard such sentiments from the priests of her own people 
or from the Jews. As the past of her life had been spread out before 
her, she had been made sensible of her great want. She realized her 
soul-thirst, which the waters of the well of Sychar could never satisfy. 
Nothing that had hitherto come in contact with her had so awakened her 
to a higher need. Jesus had convinced her that He read the secrets of 
her life; yet she felt that He was her friend, pitying and loving her. 
While the very purity of His presence condemned her sin, He had spoken 
no word of denunciation, but had told her of His grace, that could renew 
the soul. She began to have some conviction of His character. The 
question arose in her mind, “Might not this be the long-looked-for 
Messiah?” She said to Him, “I know that Messias cometh, which is 
called Christ; when He is come, He will tell us all things.” Jesus 
answered, “I that speak unto thee am He.” 

1 John 3 : 3, margin. 


190 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


As the woman heard these words, faith sprung up in her heart. She 
accepted the wonderful announcement from the lips of the divine Teacher. 

This woman was in an appreciative state of mind. She was ready 
to receive the noblest revelation; for she was interested in the Scriptures, 
and the Holy Spirit had been preparing her mind to receive more light. 
She had studied the Old Testament promise, “The Lord thy God will 
raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, 
like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken .” 1 She longed to understand 
this prophecy. Light was already flashing into her mind. The water of 
life, the spiritual life which Christ gives to every thirsty soul, had begun 
to spring up in her heart. The Spirit of the Lord was working with her. 

The plain statement made by Christ to this woman could not have 
been made to the self-righteous Jews. Christ was far more reserved 

when He spoke to them. That 
hich had been withheld from the 
ws, and which the disciples were 
afterward enjoined to keep secret, 
was revealed to her. Jesus saw 
that she would make use of her 
knowledge in bringing others to 
share His grace. 

When the disciples returned 
from their errand, they were sur¬ 
prised to find their Master speak¬ 
ing with the woman. He had not 
taken the refreshing draught that 
He desired, and He did not stop 
to eat the food His disciples had brought. When the woman had gone, 
the disciples entreated Him to eat. They saw Him silent, absorbed, 
as in rapt meditation. His face was beaming with light, and they feared 
to interrupt His communion with heaven. But they knew that He was 
faint and weary, and thought it their duty to remind Him of His physical 
necessities. Jesus recognized their loving interest, and He said, “I have 
meat to eat that ye know not of.” 

The disciples wondered who could have brought Him food; but He 
explained, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to 
accomplish His work .” 2 As His words to the woman had aroused her 
conscience, Jesus rejoiced. He saw her drinking of the water of life, 
and His own hunger and thirst were satisfied. The accomplishment 
1 Deut. 18; 15. 



2 R. V. 


at Jacob’s well. 


191 

of the mission which He had .left heaven to perform, strengthened the 
Saviour for His labor, and lifted Him above the necessities of humanity. 
To minister to a soul hungering and thirsting for the truth was more 
grateful to Him than eating or drinking. It was a comfort, a refreshment 
to Him. Benevolence was the life of His soul. 

Our Redeemer thirsts for recognition. He hungers for the sympathy 
and love of those whom He has purchased with His own blood. He 
longs with inexpressible desire that they should come to Him and have 
life. As the mother watches for the smile of recognition from her little 
child, which tells of the dawning of intelligence, so does Christ watch for 
the expression of grateful love which shows that spiritual life is begun 
in the soul. 

The woman had been filled with joy as she listened to Christ’s words. 
The wonderful revelation was almost overpowering. Leaving her water- 
pot, she returned to the city, to carry the message to others. Jesus knew 
why she had gone. Leaving her waterpot spoke unmistakably as to the 
effect of His words. It was the earnest desire of her soul to obtain 
the living water; and she forgot her errand to the well, she forgot the 
Saviour’s thirst, which she had purposed to supply. With heart over¬ 
flowing with gladness, she hastened on her way, to impart to others 
the precious light she had received. 

“Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did,” she 
said to the men of the city. “Is not this the Christ?” Her words 
touched their hearts. There was a new expression on her face, a change 
in her whole appearance. They were interested to see Jesus. “Then 
they went out of the city, and came unto Him.” 

As Jesus still sat at the well-side, He looked over the fields of grain 
that were spread out before Him, their tender green touched by the 
golden sunlight. Pointing His disciples to the scene, He employed 
it as a symbol: “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh 
harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the 
fields; for they are white already to harvest.” And as He spoke, He 
looked on the groups that were coming to the well. It was four months 
to the time for harvesting the grain, but here was a harvest ready for 
the reaper. 

“He that reapeth,” He said, “receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit 
unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice 
together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another 
reapeth.” Here Christ points out the sacred service owed to God by those 
who receive the gospel. They are to be His living agencies. He requires 
12 


192 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


their individual service. And whether we sow or reap, we are working 
for God. One scatters the seed; another gathers in the harvest; and 
both the sower and the reaper receive wages. They rejoice together in 
the reward of their labor. 

Jesus said to the disciples, “I sent you to reap that whereon ye 
bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and ye are entered into their 
labors.” The Saviour was here looking forward to the great ingathering 
on the day of Pentecost. The disciples were not to regard this as the 
result of their own efforts. They were entering into other men’s labors. 
Ever since the fall of Adam, Christ had been committing the seed of the 
word to His chosen servants, to be sown in human hearts. And an unseen 
agency, even an omnipotent power, had worked silently but effectually 
to produce the harvest. The dew and rain and sunshine of God’s grace 
had been given, to refresh and nourish the seed of truth. Christ was 
about to water the seed with His own blood. His disciples were privi¬ 
leged to be laborers together with God. They were co-workers with 
Christ and with the holy men of old. By the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit at Pentecost, thousands were to be converted in a day. This was 
the result of Christ’s sowing, the harvest of His work. 

In the words spoken to the woman at the well, good seed had been 
sown, and how quickly the harvest was received. The Samaritans came 
and heard Jesus, and believed on Him. Crowding about Him at the 
well, they plied Him with questions, and eagerly received His explanations 
of many things that had been obscure to them. As they listened, their 
perplexity began to clear away. They were like a people in great darkness 
tracing up a sudden ray of light till they had found the day. But they 
were not satisfied with this short conference. They were anxious to hear 
more, and to have their friends also listen to this wonderful teacher. They 
invited Him to their city, and begged Him to remain with them. For two 
days He tarried in Samaria, and many more believed on Him. 

The Pharisees despised the simplicity of Jesus. They ignored 
His miracles, and demanded a sign that He was the Son of God. 
But the Samaritans asked no sign, and Jesus performed no miracles 
among them, save in revealing the secrets of her life to the woman at 
the well. Yet many received Him. In their new joy they said to 
the woman, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have 
heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the 
Saviour of the world.” 

The Samaritans believed that the Messiah was to come as the 
Redeemer, not only of the Jews, but of the world. The Holy Spirit 


at Jacob’s well. 


193 


through Moses had foretold Him as a prophet sent from God. Through 
Jacob it had been declared that unto Him should the gathering of the 
people be; and through Abraham, that in Him all the nations of 
the earth should be blessed. On these scriptures the people of Samaria 
based their faith in the Messiah. The fact that the Jews had misinterpreted 
the later prophets, attributing to the first advent the glory of Christ’s 
second coming, had led the Samaritans to discard all the sacred writings 
except those given through Moses. But as the Saviour swept away these 
false interpretations, many accepted the later prophecies and the words of 
Christ Himself in regard to the kingdom of God. 

Jesus had begun to break down the partition wall between Jew and 
Gentile, and to preach salvation to the world. Though He was a Jew, 
He mingled freely with the Samaritans, setting at naught the Pharisaic 
customs of His nation. In face of their prejudices He accepted the 
hospitality of this despised people. He slept under their roofs, ate with 
them at their tables, — partaking of the food prepared and served by 
their hands, — taught in their streets, and treated them with the utmost 
kindness and courtesy. 

In the temple at Jerusalem a low wall separated the outer court from 
all other portions of the sacred building. Upon this wall were inscriptions 
in different languages, stating that none but Jews were allowed to pass 
this boundary. Had a Gentile presumed to enter the inner inclosure, he 
would have desecrated the temple, and would have paid the penalty with 
his life. But Jesus, the originator of the temple and its service, drew the 
Gentiles to Him by the tie of human sympathy, while His divine grace 
brought to them the salvation which the Jews rejected. 

The stay of Jesus in Samaria was designed to be a blessing to His 
disciples, who were still under the influence of Jewish bigotry. They felt 
that loyalty to their own nation required them to cherish enmity toward 
the Samaritans. They wondered at the conduct of Jesus. They could 
not refuse to follow His example, and during the two days in Samaria, 
fidelity to Him kept their prejudices under control; yet in heart they 
were unreconciled. They were slow to learn that their contempt and 
hatred must give place to pity and sympathy. But after the Lord’s 
ascension, His lessons came back to them with a new meaning. After 
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they recalled the Saviour’s look, His 
words, the respect and tenderness of His bearing toward these despised 
strangers. When Peter went to preach in Samaria, he brought the same 
spirit into his own work. When John was called to Ephesus and Smyrna, 
he remembered the experience at Shechem, and was filled with gratitude 


194 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


to the divine Teacher, who, foreseeing the difficulties they must meet, had 
given them help in His own example. 

The Saviour is still carrying forward the same work as when He 
proffered the water of life to the woman of Samaria. Those who call 
themselves His followers, may despise and shun the outcast ones; but 
no circumstance of birth or nationality, no condition of life, can turn 
away His love from the children of men. To every soul, however 
sinful, Jesus says, If thou hadst asked of Me, I would have given thee 
living water. 

The gospel invitation is not to be narrowed down, and presented only 
to a select few, who, we suppose, will do us honor if they accept it. The 
message is to be given to all. Wherever hearts are open to receive the 
truth, Christ is ready to instruct them. He reveals to them the Father, 
and the worship acceptable to Him who reads the heart. For such He 
uses no parables. To them, as to the woman at the well, He says, 
“I that speak unto thee am He.” 

When Jesus sat down to rest at Jacob’s well, He had come from 
Judea, where His ministry had produced little fruit. He had been rejected 
by the priests and rabbis, and even the people who professed to be His 
disciples had failed of perceiving His divine character. He was faint 
and weary; yet He did not neglect the opportunity of speaking to one 
woman, though she was a stranger, an alien from Israel, and living in 
open sin. 

The Saviour did not wait for congregations to assemble. Often He 
began His lessons with only a few gathered about Him, but one by one 
the passers-by paused to listen, until a multitude heard with wonder and 
awe the words of God through the heaven-sent Teacher. The worker 
for Christ should not feel that he cannot speak with the same earnestness 
to a few hearers as to a larger company. There may be only one to hear 
the message; but who can tell how far-reaching will be its influence? 
It seemed a small matter, even to His disciples, for the Saviour to spend 
His time upon a woman of Samaria. But He reasoned more earnestly 
and eloquently with her than with kings, councillors, or high priests. 
The lessons He gave to that woman have been repeated to the earth’s 
remotest bounds. 

As soon as she had found the Saviour, the Samaritan woman brought 
others to Him. She proved herself a more effective missionary than His 
own disciples. The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate that it was 
an encouraging field. Their thoughts were fixed upon a great work to be 
done in the future. They did not see that right around them was a 


at Jacob’s well. 


*95 


harvest to be gathered. But through the woman whom they despised, 
a whole cityful were brought to hear the Saviour. She carried the light 
at once to her countrymen. 

This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. 
Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. 
He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The 
receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring 
in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready 
to perish eager to drink of the water of life. 




CHAPTER TWENTY. 

E Galileans who returned from the Passover brought back 
the report of the wonderful works of Jesus. The judgment 
passed upon His acts by the dignitaries at Jerusalem opened 
His way in Galilee. Many of the people lamented the abuse 
of the temple and the greed and arrogance of the priests. 
They hoped that this man, who had put the rulers to flight, might be the 
looked-for Deliverer. Now tidings had come that seemed to confirm their 
brightest anticipations. It was reported that the prophet had declared 
Himself to be the Messiah. 

But the people of Nazareth did not believe on Him. For this reason, 
Jesus did not visit Nazareth on His way to Cana. The Saviour declared 
to His disciples that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Men 
estimate character by that which they themselves are capable of appre¬ 
ciating. The narrow and worldly-minded judged of Christ by His humble 
birth, His lowly garb, and daily toil. They could not appreciate the purity 
of that spirit upon which was no stain of sin. 

The news of Christ’s return to Cana soon spread throughout Galilee, 
bringing hope to the suffering and distressed. In Capernaum the tidings 
attracted the attention of a Jewish nobleman who was an officer in the 
king’s service. A son of the officer was suffering from what seemed to 
be an incurable disease. Physicians had given him up to die; but when 
the father heard of Jesus, he determined to seek help from Him. The 
child was very low, and, it was feared, might not live till his return; yet 
the nobleman felt that he must present the case in person. He hoped that 
a father’s prayers might awaken the sympathy of the great Physician. 

This chapter is based on John 4:43-54. 



(196) 



















EXCEPT YE SEE SIGNS AND WONDERS. 


197 



On reaching Cana he found a throng surrounding Jesus. With an 
anxious heart he pressed through to the Saviour’s presence. His faith 
faltered when he saw only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with 
travel. He doubted that 
this person could do 
what he had come to ask 
of him; yet he secured 
an interview with Jesus, 
told his errand, and be¬ 
sought the Saviour to 
accompany him to his 
home. But already his 


“His faith faltered 
When he saw only a plainly 
dressed man, dusty and Worn 
With travel.” 


sorrow was known to Jesus. Before the officer had left his home, the 
Saviour had beheld his affliction. 

But He knew also that the father had, in his own mind, made condi¬ 
tions concerning his belief in Jesus. Unless his petition should be gi anted, 



198 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


he would not receive Him as the Messiah. While the officer waited in an 
agony of suspense, Jesus said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will 
not believe.” 

Notwithstanding all the evidence that Jesus was the Christ, the peti¬ 
tioner had determined to make his belief in Him conditional on the 
granting of his own request. The Saviour contrasted this questioning 
unbelief with the simple faith of the Samaritans, who asked for no miracle 
or sign. His word, the ever-present evidence of His divinity, had a 
convincing power that reached their hearts. Christ was pained that His 
own people, to whom the sacred oracles had been committed, should fail 
to hear the voice of God speaking to them in His Son. 

Yet the nobleman had a degree of faith; for he had come to ask what 
seemed to him the most precious of all blessings. Jesus had a greater 
gift to bestow. He desired, not only to heal the child, but to make the 
officer and his household sharers in the blessings of salvation, and to 
kindle a light in Capernaum, which was so soon to be the field of His own 
labors. But the nobleman must realize his need before he would desire 
the grace of Christ. This courtier represented many of his nation. They 
were interested in Jesus from selfish motives. They hoped to receive 
some special benefit through His power, and they staked their faith on 
the granting of this temporal favor; but they were ignorant as to their 
spiritual disease, and saw not their need of divine grace. 

Like a flash of light, the Saviour’s words to the nobleman laid bare 

his heart. He saw that his motives in seeking Jesus were selfish. His 

vacillating faith appeared to him in its true character. In deep distress 

he realized that his doubt might cost the life of his son. He knew that he 

was in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all 
things were possible. In an agony of supplication he cried, “Sir, come 
down ere my child die!” His faith took hold upon Christ as did Jacob, 
when, wrestling with the angel, he cried, “I will not let thee go, except 
thou bless me .” 1 

Like Jacob he prevailed. The Saviour cannot withdraw from the soul 
that clings to Him, pleading its great need. “Go thy way,” He said; 
“thy son liveth.” The nobleman left the Saviour’s presence with a peace 
and joy he had never known before. Not only did he believe that his 
son would be restored, but with strong confidence he trusted in Christ 
as the Redeemer. 

At the same hour the watchers beside the dying child in the home 
at Capernaum beheld a sudden and mysterious change. The shadow of 

1 Gen. 32 : 26. 


EXCEPT YE SEE SIGNS AND WONDERS. 


I99 



death was lifted from the sufferer’s face. The flush of fever gave place 
to the soft glow of returning health. The dim eyes brightened with 
intelligence, and strength returned to the feeble, emaciated frame. No 
signs of his malady lingered about the child. His burning flesh had 
become soft and moist, and he sank into a quiet sleep. The fever had 
left him in the very heat of the day. The family were amazed, and great 
was the rejoicing. 

Cana was not so far from Capernaum but that the officer might have 
reached his home on the evening after his interview with Jesus; but he 

did not hasten on the homeward journey. 
It was not until the next morning that 
he reached Capernaum. What a home¬ 
coming was that! When he went to 
find Jesus, his heart was heavy with 
sorrow. The sunshine seemed 
cruel to him, the songs of the 
birds a mockery. How 
different his feelings now! 
All nature wears a new 
aspect. He sees with new 
eyes. As he journeys in 
the quiet of the early morn¬ 
ing, all nature seems to be 
praising God with him. While 
he is still some distance from 
his own dwelling, servants 
come out to meet him, anx¬ 
ious to relieve the suspense 
they are sure he must feel. 
He shows no surprise at the 
news they bring, but with a 
depth of interest they cannot 
know, he asks at what hour the child began to mend. They answer, 
“Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” At the very moment 
when the father’s faith grasped the assurance, “Thy son liveth,” divine 
love touched the dying child. 

The father hurries on to greet his son. He clasps him to his heart 
as one restored from the dead, and thanks God again and again for this 
wonderful restoration. 

The nobleman longed to know more of Christ. As he afterward 


At the same hour 
the Watchers beside 
the dying child in the 
home at Capernaum 
beheld a sudden and 
mysterious change.” 


200 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


heard His teaching, he and all his household became disciples. Their 
affliction was sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. Tidings 
of the miracle spread; and in Capernaum, where so many of His mighty 
works were performed, the way was prepared for Christ’s personal 
ministry. 

He who blessed the nobleman at Capernaum.is just as desirous of 
blessing us. But like the afflicted father, we are often led to seek Jesus 
by the desire for some earthly good; and upon the granting of our request 
we rest our confidence in His love. The Saviour longs to give us a 
greater blessing than we ask; and He delays the answer to our request 
that He may show us the evil of our own hearts, and our deep need 
of His grace. He desires us to renounce the selfishness that leads us to 
seek Him. Confessing our helplessness and bitter need, we are to trust 
ourselves wholly to His love. 

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfilment of his prayer before he 
should believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus, that his request 
was heard, and the blessing granted. This lesson we also have to learn. 
Not because we see or feel that God hears us, are we to believe. We 
are to trust in His promises. When we come to Him in faith, every 
petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, 
we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received 
it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be 
realized when we need it most. When we have learned to do this, we 
shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us “exceed¬ 
ing abundantly,’’ “according to the riches of His glory,” and “the working 
of His mighty power .” 1 

1 Eph, 3:20, 16; 1 :i9- 




CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. 

vV there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is 
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, 
withered, waiting for the moving of the water.” 

At certain seasons the waters of this pool were agitated, 
and it was commonly believed that this was the result of supernatural 
power, and that whoever first after the troubling of the pool stepped into 
the waters, would be healed of whatever disease he had. Hundreds of 
sufferers visited the place; but so great was the crowd when the water 
was troubled that they rushed forward, trampling under foot men, women, 
and children, weaker than themselves. Many could not get near the 
pool. Many who had succeeded in reaching it, died upon its brink. 
Shelters had been erected about the place, that the sick might be protected 
from the heat by day and the chilliness of the night. There were some 
who spent the night in these porches, creeping to the edge of the pool 
day after day, in the vain hope of relief. 

Jesus was again at Jerusalem. Walking alone, in apparent meditation 
and prayer, He came to the pool. He saw the wretched sufferers watching 
for that which they supposed to be their only chance of cure. He longed 
to exercise His healing power, and make every sufferer whole. But it 
was the Sabbath day. Multitudes were going to the temple for worship, 
and He knew that such an act of healing wpuld so excite the prejudice 
of the Jews as to cut short His work. 

But the Saviour saw one case of supreme wretchedness. It was that 
of a man who had been a helpless cripple for thirty-eight years. His 
This chapter is based on John 5. 



( 201) 









202 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



disease was in a great degree the result of his own sin, and was looked 
upon as a judgment from God. Alone and friendless, feeling that he 
was shut out from God’s mercy, the sufferer had passed long years 
of misery. At the time when it was expected that the waters would be 
troubled, those who pitied his helplessness would bear him to the porches. 
But at the favored moment he had no one to help him in. He had 
seen the rippling of the water, but had never been able to get farther than 
the edge of the pool. Others stronger than he would plunge in before 
him. He could not contend successfully with the selfish, scrambling 
crowd. His persistent efforts toward 
the one object, and his anxiety and 
continual disappointment, were fast 
wearing away the remnant of his 
strength. 

The sick man was lying 
on his mat, and occasionally 
lifting his head to gaze at the 
pool, when a tender, com¬ 
passionate face bent over him, 
and the words, “Wilt thou 
be made whole?” ar¬ 
rested his attention. 

Hope came to his heart. 

He felt that in some 
way he was to have 
help. But the glow 
of encouragement 
soon faded. He 
remembered how 

often he had tried to reach the pool, and now he had little prospect of 
living till it should again be troubled. He turned away wearily, saying, 
“Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the 
pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” 

Jesus does not ask this sufferer to exercise faith in Him. He simply 
says, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” But the man’s faith takes hold 
upon that word. Every nerve and muscle thrills with new life, and 
healthful action comes to his crippled limbs. Without question he sets 
his will to obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles respond to his 
will. Springing to his feet, he finds himself an active man. 

Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man might 


“A tender, 
compassion¬ 
ate face 
bent over 
Kim.” 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


203 


have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he 
believed Christ’s word, and in acting upon it he received strength. 

Through the same faith we may receive spiritual healing. By sin 
we have been severed from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. Of 
ourselves we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the 
impotent man capable of walking. There are many who realize their 
helplessness, and who long for that spiritual life which will bring them 
into harmony with God; they are vainly striving to obtain it. In despair 
they cry, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from 
this body of death ?” 1 Let these desponding, struggling ones look up. 
The Saviour is bending over the purchase of His blood, saying with 
inexpressible tenderness and pity, “Wilt thou be made whole?” He bids 
you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to feel that you are made 
whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled. Put your will on the 
side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon His word you will 
receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practise, the master-passion 
which through long indulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able 
and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is “dead in 
trespasses .” 2 He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and 
misfortune and the chains of sin. 

The restored paralytic stooped to take up his bed, which was only a 
rug and a blanket, and as he straightened himself again with a sense of 
delight, he looked around for his deliverer; but Jesus was lost in the 
crowd. The man feared that he would not know Him if he should 
see Him again. As he hurried on his way with firm, free step, praising 
God and rejoicing in his new-found strength, he met several of the 
Pharisees, and immediately told them of his cure. He was surprised at 
the coldness with which they listened to his story. 

With lowering brows they interrupted him, asking why he was 
carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. They sternly reminded him that 
it was not lawful to bear burdens on the Lord’s day. In his joy the 
man had forgotten that it was the Sabbath; yet he felt no condemnation 
for obeying the command of one who had such power from God. 
He answered boldly, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, 
Take up thy bed, and walk.” They asked who it was that had done 

this, but he could not tell. These rulers knew well that only One had 

shown Himself able to perform this miracle; but they wished for direct 
proof that it was Jesus, that they might condemn Him as a Sabbath- 

breaker. In their judgment He had not only broken the law in healing 

>Rom. 7:24, margin. 2 Eph. 2:1. 


204 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


the sick man on the Sabbath, but had committed sacrilege in bidding him 
bear away his bed. 

The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of 
bondage. Their meaningless requirements had become a byword among 
other nations. Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of 
senseless restrictions. It was not to them a delight, the holy of the Lord, 
and honorable. The scribes and Pharisees had made its observance an 
intolerable burden. A Jew was not allowed to kindle a fire nor even 
to light a candle on the Sabbath. As a consequence the people were 
dependent upon the Gentiles for many services which their rules forbade 
them to do for themselves. They did not reflect that if these acts were 
sinful, those who employed others to perform them were as guilty as if 
they had done the work themselves. They thought that salvation was 
restricted to the Jews, and that the condition of all others, being already 
hopeless, could be made no worse. But God has given no commandments 
which cannot be obeyed by all. His laws sanction no unreasonable or 
selfish restrictions. 

In the temple Jesus met the man who had been healed. He had 
come to bring a sin-offering and also a thank-offering for the great mercy 
he had received. Finding him among the worshipers, Jesus made Himself 
known, with the warning words, “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no 
more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” 

The healed man was overjoyed at meeting his deliverer. Ignorant 
of the enmity toward Jesus, he told the Pharisees who had questioned 
him, that this was He who had performed the cure. “Therefore did the 
Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these 
things on the Sabbath day.” 

Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrim to answer the charge of 
Sabbath-breaking. Had the Jews at this time been an independent nation, 
such a charge would have served their purpose for putting Him to death. 
This their subjection to the Romans prevented. The Jews had not the 
power to inflict capital punishment, and the accusations brought against 
Christ would have no weight in a Roman court. There were other 
objects, however, which they hoped to secure. Notwithstanding their 
efforts to counteract His work, Christ was gaining, even in Jerusalem, 
an influence over the people greater than their own. Multitudes who 
were not interested in the harangues of the rabbis, were attracted by 
His teaching. They could understand His words, and their hearts were 
warmed and comforted. He spoke of God, not as an avenging judge, but 
as a tender father, and He revealed the image of God as mirrored in 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


205 



Himself. His words were like balm to the wounded spirit. Both by His 
words and by His works of mercy He was breaking the oppressive power 
of the old traditions and man-made commandments, and presenting the 
love of God in its exhaustless fulness. 

In one of the earliest prophecies of Christ it is written, “The scepter 
shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until 
Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of 
the people be .” 1 The people were gathering to r 
Christ. The sympathetic hearts of the multitude 
accepted lessons of love and benevolence in prefer¬ 
ence to the rigid ceremonies required by the priests. 

If the priests and rabbis had not interposed, His 
teaching would have wrought such a reformation as 
this world has never witnessed. But in order to 
maintain their own power, these leaders determined 
to break down the influence of Jesus. His arraign¬ 
ment before the Sanhedrim, and an open condemna¬ 
tion of His teachings, would aid in effecting this; 
for the people still had great reverence for their 
religious leaders. Whoever dared to condemn the 
rabbinical requirements, or attempt to lighten 
the burdens they had brought upon the 
people, was regarded as guilty, not 
only of blasphemy, but of treason. 

On this ground the rabbis 
hoped to excite suspicion of 
Christ. They represented 
Him as trying to over¬ 
throw the established cus¬ 
toms, thus causing division 
among the people, and pre¬ 
paring the way for com¬ 
plete subjugation by the 
Romans. 

But the plans which 
these rabbis were working so zealously to fulfil originated in another 
council than that of the Sanhedrim. After Satan had failed to over¬ 
come Christ in the wilderness, he combined his forces to oppose Him in 
His ministry, and if possible to thwart His work. What he could not 

1 Gen. 49:10. 


“With lowering brows they interrupted him, ask¬ 
ing Why he Was carrying his bed on the Sabbath 
day.” Page 203. 



206 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


accomplish by direct, personal effort, he determined to effect by strategy. 
No sooner had he withdrawn from the conflict in the wilderness, than 
in council with his confederate angels he matured his plans for still further 
blinding the minds of the Jewish people, that they might not recognize 
their Redeemer. He planned to work through his human agencies in 
the religious world, by imbuing them with his own enmity against the 
champion of truth. He would lead them to reject Christ and to make 
His life as bitter as possible, hoping to discourage Him in His mission. 
And the leaders in Israel became instruments of Satan in warring against 
the Saviour. 

Jesus had come to “magnify the law, and make it honorable.” He 
was not to lessen its dignity, but to exalt it. The Scripture says, “He shall 
not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth .” 1 He 
had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome requirements that had 
made it a curse instead of a blessing. 

For this reason He had chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform 
the act of healing at Bethesda. He could have healed the sick man as 
well on any other day of the week; or He might simply have cured him, 
without bidding him bear away his bed. But this would not have given 
Him the opportunity He desired. A wise purpose underlay every act of 
Christ’s life on earth. Everything He did was important in itself and in 
its teaching. Among the afflicted ones at the pool He selected the worst 
case upon whom to exercise His healing power, and bade the man carry 
his bed through the city in order to publish the great work that had been 
wrought upon him. This would raise the question of what it was lawful 
to do on the Sabbath, and would open the way for Him to denounce the 
restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord’s day, and to declare their 
traditions void. 

Jesus stated to them that the work of relieving the afflicted was in 
harmony with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the work of God’s 
angels, who are ever descending and ascending between heaven and earth 
to minister to suffering humanity. Jesus declared, “My Father worketh 
hitherto, and I work.” All days are God’s, in which to carry out His 
plans for the human race. If the Jews’ interpretation of the law was 
correct, then Jehovah was at fault, whose work has quickened and upheld 
every living thing since first He laid the foundations of the earth; then 
He who pronounced His work good, and instituted the Sabbath to 
commemorate its completion, must put a period to His labor, and stop 
the never-ending routine of the universe. 

1 Isa. 42:2i, 4. 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


20 7 


Should God forbid the sun to perform its office upon the Sabbath, cut 
off its genial rays from warming the earth and nourishing vegetation? Must 
the system of worlds stand still through that holy day ? Should He com¬ 
mand the brooks to stay from watering the fields and forests, and bid the 
waves of the sea still their ceaseless ebbing and flowing? Must the wheat 
and corn stop growing, and the ripening cluster defer its purple bloom ? 
Must the trees and flowers put forth no bud nor blossom on the Sabbath? 

In such a case, men would miss the fruits of the earth, and the 
blessings that make life desirable. Nature must continue her unvarying 
course. God could not for a moment stay His hand, or man would faint 
and die. And man also has a work to perform on this day. The 
necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the 
wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who 
neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God’s holy rest-day 
was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its 
intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour’s pain that 
may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day. 

The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than 
upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and 
spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him 
on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special 
attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for 
the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. Heaven’s work 
never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath 
is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids 
secular labor on the rest-day of the Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood 
must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that 
day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the 
Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily 
life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to 
holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect 
accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath. 

Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred, 
and of the same character with that which engaged the Father in heaven. 
But the Pharisees were still more incensed. He had not only broken 
the law, according to their understanding, but in calling God “His own 
Father ” 1 had declared Himself equal with God. 

The whole nation of the Jews called God their Father, therefore 
they would not have been so enraged if Christ had represented Himself 

1 R. V. 


2o8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


as standing in the same relation to God. But they accused Him of 
blasphemy, showing that they understood Him as making this claim 
in the highest sense. 

These adversaries of Christ had no arguments with which to meet 
the truths He brought home to their consciences. They could only cite 
their customs and traditions, and these seemed weak and vapid when 
compared with the arguments Jesus had drawn from the word of God 
and the unceasing round of nature. Had the rabbis felt any desire to 
receive light, they would have been convinced that Jesus spoke the truth. 
But they evaded the points He made concerning the Sabbath, and sought 
to stir up anger against Him because He claimed to be equal with God. 
The fury of the rulers knew no bounds. Had they not feared the people, 
the priests and rabbis would have slain Jesus on the spot. But the popular 
sentiment in His favor was strong. Many recognized in Jesus the friend 
who had healed their diseases and comforted their sorrows, and they 
justified His healing of the sufferer at Bethesda. So for the time the 
leaders were obliged to restrain their hatred. 

Jesus repelled the charge of blasphemy. My authority, He said, for 
doing the work of which you accuse Me, is that I am the Son of God, 
one with Him in nature, in will, and in purpose. In all His works 
of creation and providence, I co-operate with God. “The Son can do 
nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do.” The priests 
and rabbis were taking the Son of God to task for the very work He 
had been sent into the world to do. By their sins they had separated 
themselves from God, and in their pride were moving independently 
of Him. They felt sufficient in themselves for all things, and realized no 
need of a higher wisdom to direct their acts. But the Son of God was 
surrendered to the Father’s will, and dependent upon His power. So 
utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for Himself. 
He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded 
His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the 
simple outworking of His will. 

When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling-place for 
God, he was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown 
him in the mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God's work; the most 
talented, skilful men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. Yet 
he was not to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or 
any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown 
him. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly 
things. The Lord covered him with His own glory, that he might see 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


209 


the pattern, and according to it all things were made. So to Israel, 
whom He desired to make His dwelling-place, He had revealed His 
glorious ideal of character. The pattern was shown them in the mount 
when the law was given from Sinai, and when the Lord passed by before 
Moses and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin .” 1 

Israel had chosen their own ways. They had not builded according 
to the pattern; but Christ, the true temple for God’s indwelling, moulded 
every detail of His earthly life in harmony with God’s ideal. He said, 
“I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My 
heart .” 2 So our characters are to be builded “for an habitation of God 
through the Spirit.” And we are to “make all things according to the 
pattern,” even Him who “suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye 
should follow His steps .” 3 

The words of Christ teach that we should regard ourselves as insep¬ 
arably bound to our Father in heaven. Whatever our position, we are 
dependent upon God, who holds all destinies in His hands. He has 
appointed us our work, and has endowed us with faculties and means 
for that work. So long as we surrender the will to God, and trust in 
His strength and w'isdom, we shall be guided in safe paths, to fulfil our 
appointed part in His great plan. But the one who depends upon his 
own wisdom and power, is separating himself from God. Instead of 
working in unison with Christ, he is fulfilling the purpose of the enemy 
of God and man. 

The Saviour continued: “What things soever He [the Father] doeth, 
these also doeth the Son likewise. . . . As the Father raiseth up the 
dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.” 
The Sadducees held that there would be no resurrection of the body; but 
Jesus tells them that one of the greatest works of His Father is raising 
the dead, and that He Himself has power to do the same work. “The 
hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of 
the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” The Pharisees believed 
in the resurrection of the dead. Christ declares that even now the power 
which gives life to the dead is among them, and they are to behold its 
manifestation. This same resurrection power is that which gives life 
to the soul “dead in trespasses and sins.”* That spirit of life in Christ 
Jesus, “the power of His resurrection,” sets men “free from the law of 

1 Ex. 34:6, 7. 2 Ps. 40:8. 3 Eph. 2: 22; Heb. 8:5; 1 Peter 2:21. 

4 Eph. 2:1. 


210 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


sin and death .” 1 The dominion of evil is broken, and through faith the 
soul is kept from sin. He who opens his heart to the Spirit of Christ 
becomes a partaker of that mighty power which shall bring forth his body 
from the grave. 

The humble Nazarene asserts His real nobility. He rises above 
humanity, throws off the guise of sin and shame, and stands revealed, 
the Honored of the angels, the Son of God, One with the Creator of the 
universe. His hearers are spellbound. No man has ever spoken words 
like His, or borne himself with such a kingly majesty. His utterances 
are clear and plain, fully declaring His mission, and the duty of the world. 
“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto 
the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the 
Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which 
hath sent Him. . . . For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath 
He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority 
to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.” 

The priests and rulers had set themselves up as judges, to condemn 
Christ’s work, but He declared Himself their judge, and the judge of 
all the earth. The world has been committed to Christ, and through 
Him has come every blessing from God to the fallen race. He was the 
Redeemer before as after His incarnation. As soon as there was sin, 
there was a Saviour. He has given light and life to all, and according 
to the measure of light given, each is to be judged. And He who has 
given the light, He who has followed the soul with tenderest entreaty, 
seeking to win it from sin to holiness, is in one its Advocate and 
Judge. From the opening of the great controversy in heaven, Satan has 
maintained his cause through deception; and Christ has been working to 
unveil his schemes and to break his power. It is He who has encountered 
the deceiver, and who through all the ages has been seeking to wrest the 
captives from his grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul. 

And God “hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, 
because He is the Son of man.” Because He has tasted the very dregs 
of human affliction and temptation, and understands the frailties and 
sins of men; because in our behalf He has victoriously withstood the 
temptations of Satan, and will deal justly and tenderly with the souls 
that His own blood has been poured out to save, — because of this, the 
Son of man is appointed to execute the judgment. 

But Christ’s mission was not for judgment, but for salvation. “God 
sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the 

1 Phil. 3:10; Rom. 8:2. 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


2 I I 


world through Him might be saved .” 1 And before the Sanhedrim Jesus 
declared, “He that heareth My word, and believeth Him that sent Me, 
hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of 
death into life .” 2 

Bidding His hearers marvel not, Christ opened before them, in still 
wider view, the mystery of the future. “The hour cometh,” He said, 
“in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come 
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they 
that have done ill, unto the resurrection of judgment .” 2 

This assurance of the future life was that for which Israel had so long 
waited, and which they had hoped to receive at the Messiah’s advent. 
The only light that can lighten the gloom of the grave, was shining upon 
them. But self-will is blind. Jesus had violated the traditions of the 
rabbis, and disregarded their authority, and they would not believe. 

The time, the place, the occasion, the intensity of feeling that pervaded 
the assembly, all combined to make the words of Jesus before the San¬ 
hedrim the more impressive. The highest religious authorities of the 
nation were seeking the life of Him who declared Himself the restorer 
of Israel. The Lord of the Sabbath was arraigned before an earthly 
tribunal to answer the charge of breaking the Sabbath law. When 
He so fearlessly declared His mission, His judges looked upon Him with 
astonishment and rage; but His words were unanswerable. They could 
not condemn Him. He denied the right of the priests and rabbis to 
question Him, or to interfere with His work. They were invested with 
no such authority. Their claims were based upon their own pride 
and arrogance. He refused to plead guilty of their charges, or to be 
catechized by them. 

Instead of apologizing for the act of which they complained, or 
explaining His purpose in doing it, Jesus turned upon the rulers, and 
the accused became the accuser. He rebuked them for the hardness 
of their hearts, and their ignorance of the Scriptures. He declared that 
they had rejected the word of God, inasmuch as they had rejected Him 
whom God had sent. “Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in 
them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of Me .” 2 

In every page, whether history, or precept, or prophecy, the Old 
Testament Scriptures are irradiated with the glory of the Son of God. 
So far as it was of divine institution, the entire system of Judaism was a 
compacted prophecy of the gospel. To Christ “give all the prophets 
witness .” 3 From the promise given to Adam, down through the patri- 


Hohn 3:17. 


3 Acts 10:43. 


2 R. V. 


212 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


archal line and the legal economy, heaven’s glorious light made plain 
the footsteps of the Redeemer. Seers beheld the Star of Bethlehem, the 
Shiloh to come, as future things swept before them in mysterious proces¬ 
sion. In every sacrifice, Christ’s death was shown. In every cloud of 
incense His righteousness ascended. By every jubilee trumpet His name 
was sounded. In the awful mystery of the holy of holies His glory dwelt. 

The Jews had the Scriptures in their possession, and supposed that in 
their mere outward knowledge of the word, they had eternal life. But 
Jesus said, “Ye have not His word abiding in you.” Having rejected 
Christ in His word, they rejected Him in person. “Ye will not come 
to Me,” He said, “that ye might have life.” 

The Jewish leaders had studied the teachings of the prophets concerning 
the kingdom of the Messiah; but they had done this, not with a sincere 
desire to know the truth, but with the purpose of finding evidence to 
sustain their ambitious hopes. When Christ came in a manner contrary 
to their expectations, they would not receive Him; and in order to justify 
themselves, they tried to prove Him a deceiver. When once they had set 
their feet in this path, it was easy for Satan to strengthen their opposition 
to Christ. The very words that should have been received as evidence of 
His divinity, were interpreted against Him. Thus they turned the truth 
of God into a lie, and the more directly the Saviour spoke to them in His 
works of mercy, the more determined they were in resisting the light. 

Jesus said, “I receive not honor from men.” It was not the influence 
of the Sanhedrim, it was not their sanction He desired. He could receive 
no honor from their approbation. He was invested with the honor and 
authority of Heaven. Had He desired it, angels would have come to do 
Him homage; the Father would again have testified to His divinity. But 
for their own sake, for the sake of the nation whose leaders they were. He 
desired the Jewish rulers to discern His character, and receive the blessings 
He came to bring them. 

“I am come in My Father’s name, and ye receive Me not; if another 
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” Jesus came by the 
authority of God, bearing His image, fulfilling His word, and seeking 
His glory; yet He was not accepted by the leaders in Israel; but when 
others should come, assuming the character of Christ, but actuated by 
their own will and seeking their own glory, they would be received. 
And why?—Because he who is seeking his own glory, appeals to the 
desire for self-exaltation in others. To such appeals the Jews could 
respond. They would receive the false teacher because he flattered their 
pride by sanctioning their cherished opinions and traditions. But the 


BETHESDA AND THE SANHEDRIM. 


213 


teaching of Christ did not coincide with their ideas. It was spiritual, 
and demanded the sacrifice of self; therefore they would not receive it. 
They were not acquainted with God, and to them His voice through 
Christ was the voice of a stranger. 

Is not the same thing repeated in our day? Are there not many, 
even religious leaders, who are hardening their hearts against the Holy 
Spirit, making it impossible for them to recognize the voice of God ? 
Are they not rejecting the word of God, that they may keep their own 
traditions? 

“Had ye believed Moses,” said Jesus, “ye would have believed 
Me; for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how 
shall ye believe My words?” It was Christ who had spoken to Israel 
through Moses. If they had listened to the divine voice that spoke through 
their great leader, they would have recognized it in the teachings of 
Christ. Had they believed Moses, they would have believed Him of whom 
Moses wrote. 

Jesus knew that the priests and rabbis were determined to take His life; 
yet He clearly explained to them His unity with the Father, and His 
relation to the world. They saw that their opposition to Him was without 
excuse, yet their murderous hatred was not quenched. Fear seized them 
as they witnessed the convincing power that attended His ministry; but 
they resisted His appeals, and locked themselves in darkness. 

They had signally failed to subvert the authority- of Jesus or to alienate 
the respect and attention of the people, many of whom were convicted by 
His words. The rulers themselves had felt deep condemnation as He had 
pressed their guilt home upon their consciences; yet this only made them 
the more ’bitter against Him. They were determined to take His life. 
They sent messengers all over the country to warn the people against 
Jesus as an impostor. Spies were sent to watch Him, and report what 
He said and did. The precious Saviour was now most surely standing 
under the shadow of the cross. 




CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO. 

TN the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ’s kingdom, 
and he was first also in suffering. From the free air of the 
wilderness and the vast throngs that had hung upon his words, 
he was now shut in by the walls of a dungeon cell. He had 
become a prisoner in the fortress of Herod Antipas. In 
the territory east of Jordan, which was under the dominion of Antipas, 
much of John’s ministry had been spent. Herod himself had listened 
to the preaching of the Baptist. The dissolute king had trembled under 
the call to repentance. “Herod feared John, knowing that he was a 
just man and an holy; . . . and when he heard him, he did many 

things, and heard him gladly.” John dealt with him faithfully, denounc¬ 
ing his iniquitous alliance with Herodias, his brother’s wife. For a time 
Herod feebly sought to break the chain of lust that bound him; but 
Herodias fastened him the more firmly in her toils, and found revenge 
upon the Baptist by inducing Herod to cast him into prison. 

The life of John had been one of active labor, and the gloom and 
inaction of his prison life weighed heavily upon him. As week after 
week passed, bringing no change, despondency and doubt crept over him. 
His disciples did not forsake him. They were allowed access to the 
prison, and they brought him tidings of the works of Jesus, and told how 
the people were flocking to Him. But they questioned why, if this 
new teacher was the Messiah, He did nothing to effect John’s release. 
How could He permit His faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and 
perhaps of life ? 

This chapter is based on Matt, n: i-ii; 14:1-11; Mark 6 :17-28; Luke 7 :19-28. 

( 214 ) 












IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 


215 


These questions were not without effect. Doubts which otherwise 
would never have arisen were suggested to John. Satan rejoiced to hear 
the words of these disciples, and to see how they bruised the soul of the 
Lord’s messenger. O how often those who think themselves the friends 
of a good man, and who are eager to show their fidelity to him, prove to 
be his most dangerous enemies. How often, instead of strengthening his 
faith, their words depress and dishearten. 

Like the Saviour’s disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the 
nature of Christ’s kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of 
David; and as time passed, and the Saviour made no claim to kingly 
authority, John became perplexed and troubled. He had declared to 


the people that in 
before the Lord, the 
filled; the moun- 
low, the crooked 
the rough places 
looked for the high 
pride and power to 
had pointed to the 
whose fan was in 
would thoroughly 
who would gather 
garner, and burn 
unquenchable fire. 
Elijah, in whose 
had come to Israel, 
Lord to reveal Him- 



“As Week after Week passed, 
bringing no change, despondency 
and doubt crept over him.” 


order for the way to be prepared 
prophecy of Isaiah must be ful- 
tains and hills must be brought 
made straight, and 
plain. He had 
places of human 
be cast down. He 
Messiah as the One 
His hand, and who 
purge His floor, 
the wheat into His 
up the chaff with 
Like the prophet 
spirit and power he 
he looked for the 
self as a God that 


answereth by fire. 

In his mission the Baptist had stood as a fearless reprover of iniquity, 
both in high places and in low. He had dared to face King Herod with 
the plain rebuke of sin. He had not counted his life dear unto himself 
that he might fulfil his appointed work. And now from his dungeon 
he watched for the Lion of the tribe of Judah to cast down the pride of 
the oppressor, and to deliver the poor and him that cried. But Jesus 
seemed to content Himself with gathering disciples about Him, and 
healing and teaching the people. He was eating at the tables of the 
publicans, while every day the Roman yoke rested more heavily upon 
Israel, while King Herod and his vile paramour worked their will, and 
the cries of the poor and suffering went up to heaven. 

To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. 





216 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and 
the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the 
long-hoped-for Deliverer had not yet appeared ? Then what meant 
the message that he himself had been impelled to bear? John had been 
bitterly disappointed in the result of his mission. He had expected that 
the message from God would have the same effect as w'hen the law 
was read in the days of Josiah and of Ezra ; 1 that there would follow a 
deep-seated work of repentance and returning unto the Lord. For the 
success of this mission his whole life had been sacrificed. Had it been 
in vain ? 

John w'as troubled to see that through love for him, his own disciples 
w r ere cherishing unbelief in regard to Jesus. Had his w’ork for them been 
fruitless ? Had he been unfaithful in his mission, that he was now cut olf 
from labor? If the promised Deliverer had appeared, and John had been 
found true to his calling, would not Jesus now overthrow the oppressor’s 
power, and set free His herald ? 

But the Baptist did not surrender his faith in Christ. The memory 
of the voice from heaven and the descending dove, the spotless purity of 
Jesus, the pow'er of the Holy Spirit that had rested upon John as he came 
into the Saviour’s "presence, and the testimony of the prophetic scriptures,— 
all witnessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised One. 

John would not discuss his doubts and anxieties with his companions. 
He determined to send a message of inquiry to Jesus. This he intrusted 
to two of his disciples, hoping that an interview with the Saviour would 
confirm their faith, and bring assurance to their brethren. And he longed 
for some word from Christ spoken directly for himself. 

The disciples came to Jesus with their message, “Art Thou He that 
should come, or do we look for another?” 

How short the time since the Baptist had pointed to Jesus, and 
proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of 
the world.” “He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me .” 2 
And now the question, “Art Thou He that should come?” It was 
keenly bitter and disappointing to human nature. If John, the faithful 
forerunner, failed to discern Christ’s mission, what could be expected from 
the self-seeking multitude ? 

The Saviour did not at once answer the disciples’ question. As they 
stood wondering at His silence, the sick and afflicted were coming to Him 
to be healed. The blind were groping their way through the crow'd; 
diseased ones of all classes, some urging their own way, some borne by 
1 2 Chron. 34; Neh 8, 9. 2 John 1:29, 27. 


IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 


2 I 7 



their friends, were eagerly pressing into the presence of Jesus. The voice 
of the mighty Healer penetrated the deaf ear. A word, a touch of His 
hand, opened the blind eyes to behold the light of day, the scenes of 
nature, the faces of friends, and the face of the Deliverer. Jesus rebuked 
disease and banished fever. His voice reached the ears of the dying, and 
they arose in health and vigor. Paralyzed demoniacs obeyed His word, 
their madness left them, and they worshiped Him. While He healed their 
diseases, He taught the people. The poor peasants and laborers, who 
were shunned by the rabbis as unclean, gathered close about Him, and He 
spoke to them the words of eternal life. 

Thus the day wore away, the disciples of John seeing and hearing all. 

At last Jesus called them to Him, and 
bade them go and tell John what they 
had witnessed, adding, 
“Blessed is he, whoso¬ 
ever shall find none 
occasion of stumbling 
in Me .” 1 The evidence 
of His divinity was seen 
in its adaptation to the 
needs of suffering hu¬ 
manity. His glory was shown in His 
condescension to our low estate. 

The disciples bore the message, 
and it was enough. John recalled the prophecy 
concerning the Messiah, “The Lord hath anointed 
Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He 
hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to 
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening 
of the prison to them that are bound; to pro¬ 
claim the acceptable year of the Lord .” 2 The 
works of Christ not only declared Him to be the 
Messiah, but showed in what manner His kingdom was to be established. 
To John was opened the same truth that had come to Elijah in the 
desert, when “a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 
in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the 
wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in 
the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not 
in the fire :” 3 and after the fire, God spoke to the prophet by a still, 


“A \Vord, a touch of His 
hand, opened the blind 
eyes to behold the light 
of day." 


1 R. V. 2 Isa. 6i: i, 2. 3 i Kings 19:11, 12. 


2 I 8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


small voice. So Jesus was to do His work, not with the clash of arms 
and the overturning of thrones and kingdoms, but through speaking to 
the hearts of men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice. 

The principle of the Baptist’s own life of self-abnegation was the 
principle of the Messiah’s kingdom. John well knew how foreign all 
this was to the principles and hopes of the leaders in Israel. That 
which was to him convincing evidence of Christ’s divinity, would be no 
evidence to them. They were looking for a Messiah who had not been 
promised. John saw that the Saviour’s mission could win from them 
only hatred and condemnation. He, the forerunner, was but drinking 
of the cup which Christ Himself must drain to its dregs. 

The Saviour’s words, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall find none 
occasion of stumbling in Me,” were a gentle reproof to John. It was 
not lost upon him. Understanding more clearly now the nature of 
Christ’s mission, he yielded himself to God for life or for death, as 
should best serve the interests of the cause he loved. 

After the messengers had departed, Jesus spoke to the people con¬ 
cerning John. The Saviour’s heart went out in sympathy to the faithful 
witness now buried in Herod’s dungeon. He would not leave the people 
to conclude that God had forsaken John, or that his faith had failed in 
the day of trial. “What went ye out into the wilderness to see?” He 
said. “A reed shaken with the wind?” 

The tall reeds that grew beside the Jordan, bending before every 
breeze, were fitting representatives of the rabbis who had stood as critics 
and judges of the Baptist’s mission. They were swayed this way and 
that, by the winds of popular opinion. They would not humble them¬ 
selves to receive the heart-searching message of the Baptist, yet for fear 
of the people they dared not openly oppose his work. But God’s 
messenger was of no such craven spirit. The multitudes who were 
gathered about Christ had been witnesses to the work of John. They 
had heard his fearless rebuke of sin. To the self-righteous Pharisees, 
the priestly Sadducees, King Herod and his court, princes and soldiers, 
publicans and peasants, John had spoken with equal plainness. He was 
no trembling reed, swayed by the winds of human praise or prejudice. 
In the prison he was the same in his loyalty to God and his zeal for 
righteousness as when he preached God’s message in the wilderness. In 
his faithfulness to principle he was as firm as a rock. 

Jesus continued, “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed 
in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled and live 
delicately, are in kings’ courts.” John had been called to reprove the 


IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 2 ig 

sins and excesses of his time, and his plain dress and self-denying 
life were in harmony with the character of his mission. Rich apparel 
and the luxuries of this life are not the portion of God’s servants, but 
of those who live “in kings’ courts,” the rulers of this world, to whom 
pertain its power and its riches. Jesus wished to direct attention to the 
contrast between the clothing of John, and that worn by the priests 
and rulers. These officials arrayed themselves in rich robes and costly 
ornaments. They loved display, and hoped to dazzle the people, and 
thus command greater consideration. They were more anxious to gain 
the admiration of men than to obtain the purity of heart which would 
win the approval of God. Thus they revealed that their allegiance was 
not given to God, but to the kingdom of this world. 

“But what,” said Jesus, “went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, 
I s&y unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it 
is written,— 

“Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, 

Which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. 

“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there 
hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” In the announcement to 
Zacharias before the birth of John, the angel had declared, “He shall be 
great in the sight of the Lord .” 1 In the estimation of Heaven, what is it 
that constitutes greatness? — Not that which the world accounts greatness; 
not wealth, or rank, or noble descent, or intellectual gifts, in themselves 
considered. If intellectual greatness, apart from any higher consideration, 
is worthy of honor, then our homage is due to Satan, whose intellectual 
power no man has ever equaled. But when perverted to self-serving, 
the greater the gift, the greater curse it becomes. It is moral worth 
that God values. Love and purity are the attributes He prizes most. 
John was great in the sight of the Lord, when, before the messengers 
from the Sanhedrim, before the people, and before his own disciples, he 
refrained from seeking honor for himself, but pointed all to Jesus as the 
Promised One. His unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ, presents 
the highest type of nobility ever revealed in man. 

The witness borne of him after his death, by those who had heard 
his testimony to Jesus, was, “John did no miracle; but all things that 
John spake of this man were true .” 2 It was not given to John to call 
down fire from heaven, or to raise the dead, as Elijah did, nor to wield 
Moses’ rod of power in the name of God. He was sent to herald the 
^uke 1:15. 2 John 10:41. 


220 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Saviour’s advent, and to call upon the people to prepare for His coming. 
So faithfully did he fulfil his mission, that as the people recalled what he 
had taught them of Jesus, they could say, “All things that John spake 
of this man were true.” Such witness to Christ every disciple of the 
Master is called upon to bear. 

As the Messiah’s herald, John was “much more than a prophet.” 
For while prophets had seen from afar Christ’s advent, to John it was 
given to behold Him, to hear the testimony from heaven to His Messiah- 
ship, and to present Him to Israel as the Sent of God. Yet Jesus said, 
“He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” 

The prophet John was the connecting link between the two dispensa¬ 
tions. As God’s representative he stood forth to show the relation of the 
law and the prophets to the Christian dispensation. He was the lesser 
light, which was to be followed by a greater. The mind of John was 
illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that he might shed light upon his people; 
but no other light ever has shone or ever will shine so clearly upon fallen 
man as that which emanated from the teaching and example of Jesus. 
Christ and His mission had been but dimly understood as typified in the 
shadowy sacrifices. Even John had not fully comprehended the future, 
immortal life through the Saviour. 

Aside from the joy that John found in his mission, his life had been 
one of sorrow. His voice had been seldom heard except in the wilderness. 
His was a lonely lot. And he was not permitted to see the result of his 
own labors. It was not his privilege to be with Christ, and witness 
the manifestation of divine power attending the greater light. It was not 
for him to see the blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead 
raised to life. He did not behold the light that shone through every word 
of Christ, shedding glory upon the promises of prophecy. The least 
disciple who saw Christ’s mighty works and heard His words was in this 
sense more highly privileged than John the Baptist, and therefore is said 
to have been greater than he. 

Through the vast throngs that had listened to John’s preaching, his 
fame had spread throughout the land. A deep interest was felt as to 
the result of his imprisonment. Yet his blameless life, and the strong 
public sentiment in his favor, led to the belief that no violent measures 
would be taken against him. 

Herod believed John to be a prophet of God, and he fully intended to 
set him at liberty. But he delayed his purpose from fear of Herodias. 

Herodias knew that by direct measures she could never win Herod’s 
consent to the death of John, and she resolved to accomplish her purpose 


IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 


22 1 


by stratagem. On the king’s birthday an entertainment was to be given 
to the officers of state, and the nobles of the court. There would be 
feasting and drunkenness. Herod would thus be thrown off his guard, 
and might then be influenced according to her will. 

When the great day arrived, and the king with his lords was feasting 
and drinking, Herodias sent her daughter into the banqueting hall to dance 
for the entertainment of the guests. Salome was in the first flush of 


womanhood, and her 
tivated the senses of 
was not customary for 
to appear at these fes- 
compliment was paid 
daughter of Israel’s 
danced for the amuse- 
The king was dazed 
held sway, and reason 
saw only the hall of 
ing guests, the banquet 
wine and the flashing 
girl dancing before him. 
the moment, he desired 
that would exalt him 
of his realm. With an 
give the daughter of 
might ask, even to the 
Salome hastened to 
what she should ask. 

— the head of John 
knew not of the thirst 
mother’s heart, and she 
the request; but the 
rodias prevailed. The girl returned with 



Salome. 


voluptuous beauty cap- 
the lordly revelers. It 
the ladies of the court 
tivities, and a flattering 
to Herod when this 
priests and princes, 
ment of his guests, 
with wine. Passion 
was dethroned. He 
pleasure, with its revel- 
table, the sparkling 
lights, and the young 
In the recklessness of 
to make some display 
before the great men 
oath he promised to 
Herodias whatever she 
half of his kingdom, 
her mother, to know 
The answer was ready, 
the Baptist. Salome 
for revenge in her 
shrank from presenting 
determination of He- 
the terrible petition, “I will 


that thou forthwith give me in a charger the head of John the Baptist .” 1 

Herod was astonished and confounded. The riotous mirth ceased, 
and an ominous silence settled down upon the scene of revelry. The 
king was horror-stricken at the thought of taking the life of John. Yet 
his word was pledged, and he was unwilling to appear fickle or rash. 
The oath had been made in honor of his guests, and if one of them had 
offered a word against the fulfilment of his promise, he would gladly have 


1 R. V. 






222 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


spared the prophet. He gave them opportunity to speak in the prisoner’s 
behalf. They had traveled long distances in order to hear the preaching 
of John, and they knew him to be a man without crime, and a servant of 
God. But though shocked at the girl’s demand, they were too besotted 
to interpose a remonstrance. No voice was raised to save the life of 
Heaven’s messenger. These men occupied high positions of trust in the 
nation, and upon them rested grave responsibilities; yet they had given 
themselves up to feasting and drunkenness until the senses were benumbed. 
Their heads were turned with the giddy scene of music and dancing, and 
conscience lay dormant. By their silence they pronounced the sentence 
of death upon the prophet of God to satisfy the revenge of an abandoned 
woman. 

Herod waited in vain to be released from his oath; then he reluctantly 
commanded the execution of the prophet. Soon the head of John was 
brought in before the king and his guests. Forever sealed were those 
lips that had faithfully warned Herod to turn from his life of sin. Never 
more would that voice be heard calling men to repentance. The revels of 
one night had cost the life of one of the greatest of the prophets. 

O how often has the life of the innocent been sacrificed through the 
intemperance of those who should have been guardians of justice. He 
who puts the intoxicating cup to his lips makes himself responsible for 
all the injustice he may commit under its besotting power. By benumbing 
his senses he makes it impossible for him to judge calmly or to have a 
clear perception of right and wrong. He opens the way for Satan to 
work through him in oppressing and destroying the innocent. “Wine 
is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is 
not wise.” Thus it is that “judgment is turned away backward, . . 

and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey .” 1 Those who 
have jurisdiction over the lives of their fellow-men, should be held guilty 
of a crime when they yield to intemperance. All who execute the laws 
should be law-keepers. They should be men of self-control. They need 
to have full command of their physical, mental, and moral powers, that 
they may possess vigor of intellect, and a high sense of justice. 

The head of John the Baptist was carried to Herodias, who received 
it with fiendish satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and flattered 
herself that Herod’s conscience would no longer be troubled. But no 
happiness resulted to her from her sin. Her name became notorious 
and abhorred, while Herod was more tormented by remorse than he had 
been by the warnings of the prophet. The influence of John’s teachings 
1 Prov. 20: i; Isa. 59:14, 15. 


IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 


223 


was not silenced; it was to extend to every generation till the close 
of time. 

Herod's sin was ever before him. He was constantly seeking to find 
relief from the accusings of a guilty conscience. His confidence in John 
was unshaken. As he recalled his life of self-denial, his solemn, earnest 
appeals, his sound judgment in counsel, and then remembered how he 
had come to his death, Herod could find no rest. Engaged in the affairs 
of the state, receiving honors from men, he bore a smiling face and dignified 
mien, while he concealed an anxious heart, ever oppressed with the fear 
that a curse was upon him. 

Herod had been deeply impressed by the words of John, that nothing 
can be hidden from God. He was convinced that God was present in 
every place, that He had witnessed the revelry of the banqueting room, 
that He had heard the command to behead John, and had seen the 
exultation of Herodias, and the insult she offered to the severed head 
of her reprover. And many things that Herod had heard from the 
lips of the prophet now spoke to his conscience more distinctly than 
had the preaching in the wilderness. 

When Herod heard of the works of Christ, he was exceedingly 
troubled. He thought that God had raised John from the dead, and 
sent him forth with still greater power to condemn sin. He was in 
constant fear that John would avenge his death by passing condemnation 
upon him and his house. Herod was reaping that which God had declared 
to be the result of a course of sin, — “a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, 
and sorrow of mind; and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and 
thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: in 
the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou 
shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith 
thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes, which thou shalt see .” 1 
The sinner’s own thoughts are his accusers; and there can be no torture 
keener than the stings of a guilty conscience, which give him no rest 
day nor night. 

To many minds a deep mystery surrounds the fate of John the Baptist. 
They question why he should have been left to languish and die in prison. 
The mystery of this dark providence our human vision cannot penetrate; 
but it can never shake our confidence in God when we remember that 
John was but a sharer in the sufferings of Christ. All who follow Christ 
will wear the crown of sacrifice. They will surely be misunderstood by 
selfish men, and will be made a mark for the fierce assaults of Satan. 

1 Deut. 28: 65-61. 


14 


224 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


It is this principle of self-sacrifice that his kingdom is established to 
destroy, and he will war against it wherever manifested. 

The childhood, youth, and manhood of John had been characterized by 
firmness and moral power. When his voice was heard in the wilderness 
saying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His paths straight ,” 1 
Satan feared for the safety of his kingdom. The sinfulness of sin was 
revealed in such a manner that men trembled. Satan’s power over many 
who had been under his control was broken. He had been unwearied in 
his efforts to draw away the Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender 
to God; but he had failed. And he had failed to overcome Jesus. In 
the temptation in the wilderness, Satan had been defeated, and his rage 
was great. Now he determined to bring sorrow upon Christ by strik¬ 
ing John. The One whom he could not entice to sin, he would cause 
to suffer. 

Jesus did not interpose to deliver his servant. He knew that John 
would bear the test. Gladly would the Saviour have come to John, to 
brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not 
to place Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission. 
Gladly would He have delivered His faithful servant. But for the sake 
of thousands who in after years must pass from prison to death, John 
was to drink the cup of martyrdom. As the followers of Jesus should 
languish in lonely cells, or perish by the sword, the rack, or the fagot, 
apparently forsaken by God and man, what a stay to their hearts would 
be the thought that John the Baptist, to whose faithfulness Christ Himself 
had borne witness, had passed through a similar experience. 

Satan was permitted to cut short the earthly life of God’s messenger; 
but that life which “is hid with Christ in God ,” 2 the destroyer could not 
reach. He exulted that he had brought sorrow upon Christ, but he 
had failed of conquering John. Death itself only placed him forever 
beyond the power of temptation. In this warfare, Satan was revealing 
his own character. Before the witnessing universe he made manifest his 
enmity toward God and man. 

Though no miraculous deliverance was granted John, he was not 
forsaken. He had always the companionship of heavenly angels, who 
opened to him the prophecies concerning Christ, and the precious promises 
of Scripture. These were his stay, as they were to be the stay of God’s 
people through the coming ages. To John the Baptist, as to those that 
came after him, w r as given the assurance, “Lo, I am with you all the days 
even unto the end .” 3 

1 Matt. 3:3. 2 Col. 3:3. 3 Matt. 28: 20, margin, R. V. 


IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH OF JOHN. 


225 


God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be 
led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory 
of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not 
Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a 
chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who 
perished alone in the dungeon. “Unto you it is given in the behalf of 
Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake .” 1 
And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with 
Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. 

1 Phil. 1: 29. 













DAYS OF PROMISE. 


Early Ministry in Galilee. 



“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in 
the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Isa. 9:2. 





















































































- 
















•;Th*tako, lh«mountain,tlMiiprMdlnjr A«1 «In, the dmnb TEACHER. 

I lit* Ml III ly III III»« I<l ItiK I l»r* tuirlll, ull III I'IiInIkmI 
oblwlN (II llliiMllMtr 11 In Uniiiiiiiii," 1'nyr 















CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. 



jESUS came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom 
of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of 
God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel .” 1 

The Messiah’s coming had been first announced in Judea. 

In the temple at Jerusalem the birth of the forerunner had 
been foretold to Zacharias as he ministered before the altar. On the hills 
of Bethlehem the angels had proclaimed the birth of Jesus. To Jerusalem 
the magi had come in search of Him. In the temple Simeon and Anna 
had testified to His divinity. “Jerusalem and all Judea” had listened to 
the preaching of John the Baptist; and the deputation from the Sanhedrim, 
with the multitude, had heard his testimony concerning Jesus. In Judea, 
Christ had received His first disciples. Here much of His early ministry 
had been spent. The flashing forth of His divinity in the cleansing of the 
temple, His miracles of healing, and the lessons of divine truth that fell 
from His lips, all proclaimed that which after the healing at Bethesda 
He had declared before the Sanhedrim,—His Sonship to the Eternal. 

If the leaders in Israel had received Christ, He would have honored 
them as His messengers to carry the gospel to the world. To them first 
was given the opportunity to become heralds of the kingdom and grace 
of God. But Israel knew not the time of her visitation. The jealousy 

1 Mark i: 14, 15. 


(231) 
















232 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


and distrust of the Jewish leaders had ripened into open hatred, and the 
hearts of the people were turned away from Jesus. 

The Sanhedrim had rejected Christ’s message and was bent upon 
His death; therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priests, 
the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed 
in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His message, and to 
gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations. 

As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical author¬ 
ities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding 
generation. Again and again the history of Christ’s withdrawal from 
Judea has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of 
God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established 
church; but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those 
that bore it were forced to seek another class, who were longing for the 
truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers 
are actuated by their spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God, 
and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often 
those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away 
from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of 
the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are 
by the same teaching obliged to leave the church of their fathers, that 
they may render obedience. 

The people of Galilee were despised by the rabbis of Jerusalem as rude 
and unlearned, yet they presented a more favorable field for the Saviour’s 
work. They were more earnest and sincere; less under the control of 
bigotry; their minds were more open for the reception of truth. In going 
to Galilee, Jesus was not seeking seclusion or isolation. The province 
was at this time the home of a crowded population, with a much larger 
admixture of people of other nations than was found in Judea. 

As Jesus traveled through Galilee, teaching and healing, multitudes 
flocked to Him from the cities and villages. Many came even from 
Judea and the adjoining provinces. Often He was obliged to hide Him¬ 
self from the people. The enthusiasm ran so high that it was necessary 
to take precautions lest the Roman authorities should be aroused to 
fear an insurrection. Never before had there been such a period as this 
for the world. Heaven was brought down to men. Hungering and 
thirsting souls that had waited long for the redemption of Israel now 
feasted upon the grace of a merciful Saviour. 

The burden of Christ’s preaching was, “The time is fulfilled, and the 
kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Thus 


THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. 


233 


the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the 
prophecies. The “time” which He declared to be fulfilled was the period 
made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. “Seventy weeks,” said the 
angel, “are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish 
the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation 
for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the 
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.” 1 A day in prophecy 
stands for a year. 2 The seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety days, 
represent four hundred and ninety years. A starting-point for this period 
is given: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of 
the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the 
Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,” 3 sixty-nine 
weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. The commandment to 
restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes 
Longimanus, 4 went into effect in the autumn of b. c. 457. From this 
time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of a. d. 27. 
According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the 
Anointed One. In a. d. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing 
of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry. Then the 
message was proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled.” 

Then, said the angel, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for 
one week [seven years].” For seven years after the Saviour entered 
on His ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; 
for three and a half years by Christ Himself, and afterward by the 
apostles. “In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and 
the oblation to cease.” 5 In the spring of A. D. 31, Christ the true 
sacrifice was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was rent 
in twain, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial 
service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and 
oblation to cease. 

The one week — seven years — ended in A. D. 34. Then by the 
stoning of Stephen the Jews finally sealed their rejection of the gospel; 
the disciples who were scattered abroad by persecution “went everywhere 
preaching the word;” 6 and shortly after, Saul the persecutor was converted, 
and became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. 

The time of Christ’s coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit, 
His death, 7 and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely 

1 Dan. 9:24. 3 Dan. 9:25. 6 Dan. 9:27. 

2 See Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6. ■‘See Ezra 6:14; 71, margin, 9. 6 Acts 814. 

1 See Appendix, Note 2. 


234 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


pointed out. It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand 
these prophecies, and to recognize their fulfilment in the mission of 
Jesus. Christ urged upon His disciples the importance of prophetic study. 
Referring to the prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, He 
said, “Whoso readeth, let him understand.” 1 After His resurrection 
He explained to the disciples in “all the prophets” “the things concerning 
Himself.” 2 The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. “The 
Spirit of Christ which was in them” “testified beforehand the sufferings 
of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 3 

It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank to the Son of God, who came 
with the divine message to Daniel. It was Gabriel, “His angel,” whom 
Christ sent to open the future to the beloved John; and a blessing is 
pronounced on those who read and hear the words of the prophecy, 
and keep the things written therein. 4 

“The Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His 
servants the prophets.” While “the secret things belong unto the Lord 
our God,” “those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our 
children forever.” 5 God has given these things to us, and His blessing 
will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures. 

As the message of Christ’s first advent announced the kingdom of 
His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom 
of His glory. And the second message, like the first, is based on the 
prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days 
were to be understood in the time of the end. At that time, “many shall 
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” “The wicked shall do 
wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall 
understand.” 6 The Saviour Himself has given signs of His coming, and He 
says, “When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom 
of God is nigh at hand.” “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time 
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares 
of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” “Watch ye 
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape 
all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son 
of man.” 7 

We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time 
of the end is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their 
solemn warnings point us to our Lord’s coming in glory as near at hand. 

1 Matt. 24:15. 3 1 Peter 1:11. “Amos 3:7; Deut. 29:29. 

2 Luke 24: 27. 4 Rev. 1: 3. 6 Dan. 12:4, 10. 

7 Luke 21: 31, 34, 39. 


THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. 


235 


The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they 
knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of 
Christ and His apostles, — the precious last years of grace to the chosen 
people, — they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. 
Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom 
came to them in vain. So to-day the kingdom of this world absorbs 
men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies, 
and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God. 

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake 
you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the 
day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” While we are not to 
know the hour of our Lord’s return, we may know when it is near. 
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 

1 Thess. 5 :4-6. 







L 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR. 


CROSS the bright days of Christ’s ministry in Galilee, one 
shadow lay. The people of Nazareth rejected Him. “Is 
not this the carpenter’s son?” they said. 

During His childhood and youth, Jesus had worshiped 
among His brethren in the synagogue at Nazareth. Since 
the opening of His ministry He had been absent from them, but they 
had not been ignorant of what had befallen Him. As He again appeared 
among them, their interest and expectation were excited to the highest 
pitch. Here were the familiar forms and faces of those whom He had 
known from infancy. Here were His mother, His brothers and sisters, 
and all eyes were turned upon Him as He entered the synagogue upon 
the Sabbath day, and took His place among the worshipers. 

In the regular service for the day, the elder read from the prophets, 
and exhorted the people still to hope for the Coming One, who would 
bring in a glorious reign, and banish all oppression. He sought to 
encourage his hearers by rehearsing the evidence that the Messiah’s 
coming was near. He described the glory of His advent, keeping 
prominent the thought that He would appear at the head of armies to 
deliver Israel. 

When a rabbi was present at the synagogue, he was expected 
to deliver the sermon, and any Israelite might give the reading from 
the prophets. Upon this Sabbath Jesus was requested to take part 
in the service. He “stood up to read, and there was delivered unto 
Him a roll of the prophet Isaiah.” 1 The scripture which He read, was 
one that was understood as referring to the Messiah: — 

This chapter is based on Luke 4 :16-30. 1 R. V., margin. 

( 236) 

















IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTERS SON? 


237 


“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 

Because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; 

He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, 

To preach deliverance to the captives. 

And recovering of sight to the blind, 

To set at liberty them that are bruised, 

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” 

“And He closed the roll, and gave it back to the attendant; •. 
and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. . . . And 

all bare Him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded 
out of His mouth.” 1 

Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies 
concerning Himself. Explaining the words He had read, He spoke of the 
Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer 
of the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world 
the light of truth. His impressive manner and the wonderful import of 
His words thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt before. 
The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down; like Moses, they 
beheld the Invisible. As their hearts were moved upon by the Holy 
Spirit, they responded with fervent amens, and praises to the Lord. 

But when Jesus announced, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your 
ears,” they were suddenly recalled to think of themselves, and of the 
claims of Him who had been addressing them. They, Israelites, children 
of Abraham, had been represented as in bondage. They had been 
addressed as prisoners to be delivered from the power of evil; as in 
darkness, and needing the light of truth. Their pride was offended, and 
their fears were roused. The words of Jesus indicated that His work 
for them was to be altogether different from what they desired. Their 
deeds might be investigated too closely. Notwithstanding their exactness 
in outward ceremonies, they shrank from inspection by those clear, 
searching eyes. 

Who is this Jesus ? they questioned. He who had claimed for Himself 
the glory of the Messiah, was the son of a carpenter, and had worked 
at His trade with His father Joseph. They had seen Him toiling up 
and dow r n the hills, they were acquainted with His brothers and sisters, and 
knew His life and labors. They had seen Him develop from childhood 
to youth, and from youth to manhood. Although His life had been 
spotless, they would not believe that He was the Promised One. 

What a contrast between His teaching in regard to the new kingdom 
and that which they had heard from their elder! Jesus had said nothing 

1 R. V., margin. 


238 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


of delivering them from the Romans. They had heard of His miracles, 
and had hoped that His power would be exercised for their advantage; 
but they had seen no indication of such purpose. 

As they opened the door to doubt, their hearts became so much the 
harder for having been momentarily softened. Satan was determined 
that blind eyes should not that day be opened, nor souls bound in slavery 
be set at liberty. With intense energy He worked to fasten them in 
unbelief. They made no account of the sign already given, when they 
had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Redeemer who 
addressed them. 

But Jesus now gave them an evidence of His divinity by revealing 
their secret thoughts. “He said to them, Doubtless ye will say unto 
Me this parable, Physician, heal thyself; whatsoever we have heard done 
at Capernaum, do also here in Thine own country. And He said, Verily 
I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But of a 
truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of 
Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when 
there came a great famine over all the land; and unto none of them was 
Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman 
that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of 
Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman, 
the Syrian.” 1 

By this relation of events in the lives of the prophets, Jesus met the 
questionings of His hearers. The servants whom God had chosen for a 
special work, were not allowed to labor for a hard-hearted and unbelieving 
people. But those who had hearts to feel and faith to believe were 
especially favored with evidences of His power through the prophets. 
In the days of Elijah, Israel had departed from God. They clung to 
their sins, and rejected the warnings of the Spirit through the Lord’s 
messengers. Thus they cut themselves off from the channel by which 
God’s blessing could come to them. The Lord passed by the homes 
of Israel, and found a refuge for His servant in a heathen land, with a 
woman who did not belong to the chosen people. But this woman was 
favored because she had followed the light she had received, and her 
heart was open to the greater light that God sent her through His 
prophet. 

It was for the same reason that in Elisha’s time the lepers of Israel 
were passed by. But Naaman, a heathen nobleman, had been faithful to 
his convictions of right, and had felt his great need of help. He was in a 


■R. V. 


IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTER’S SON.^ 


239 


condition to receive the gifts of God’s grace. He was not only cleansed 
from his leprosy, but blessed with a knowledge of the true God. 

Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we 
have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even 
the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it, are in 
a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and 
profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life 
contradict their profession. 



“ His Words Were drowned in a tumult of Voices.” Page 240. 

The words of Jesus to His hearers in the synagogue struck at the 
root of their self-righteousness, pressing home upon them the bitter truth 
that they had departed from God, and forfeited their claim to be His 
people. Every word cut like a knife as their real condition was set before 
them. They now scorned the faith with which Jesus had at first 
inspired them. They would not admit that He who had sprung from 
poverty and lowliness was other than a common man. 

Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled them, and in wrath they 
cried out against the Saviour. They had turned from Him whose mission 























240 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


it was to heal and restore; now they manifested the attributes of the 
destroyer. 

When Jesus referred to the blessings given to the Gentiles, the fierce 
national pride of His hearers was aroused, and His words were drowned 
in a tumult of voices. These people had prided themselves on keeping 
the law; but now that their prejudices were offended, they were ready to 
commit murder. The assembly broke up, and laying hands upon Jesus, 
they thrust Him from the synagogue, and out of the city. All seemed 
eager for His destruction. They hurried Him to the brow of a precipice, 
intending to cast Him down headlong. Shouts and maledictions filled the 
air. Some were casting stones at Him, when suddenly He disappeared 
from among them. The heavenly messengers who had been by His side 
in the synagogue were with Him in the midst of that maddened throng. 
They shut Him in from His enemies, and conducted Him to a place 
of safety. 

So angels protected Lot, and led him out safely from the midst of 
Sodom. So they protected Elisha in the little mountain city. When 
the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of the king of 
Syria, and the great host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the nearer 
hill-slopes covered with the armies of God,— horses and chariots of fire 
round about the servant of the Lord. 

So, in all ages, angels have been near to Christ’s faithful followers. 
The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; 
but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the 
armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. 
From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through 
the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of 
eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the 
whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that 
messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day. 

When Jesus in the synagogue read from the prophecy, He stopped 
short of the final specification concerning the Messiah’s work. Having 
read the words, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” He 
omitted the phrase, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” 1 This was 
just as much truth as was the first of the prophecy, and by His silence 
Jesus did not deny the truth. But this last expression was that upon 
which His hearers delighted to dwell, and which they were desirous of 
fulfilling. They denounced judgments against the heathen, not discerning 
that their own guilt was even greater than that of others. They themselves 


1 Isa. 61: 2. 


IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTER’S SON? 


24I 


were in deepest need of the mercy they were so ready to deny to the 
heathen. That day in the synagogue, when Jesus stood among them, 
was their opportunity to accept the call of Heaven. He who “delighteth 
in mercy” 1 would fain have saved them from the ruin which their sins 
were inviting. 

Not without one more call to repentance could He give them up. 
Toward the close of His ministry in Galilee, He again visited the home 
of His childhood. Since His rejection there, the fame of His preaching 
and His miracles had filled the land. None now could deny that He 
possessed more than human power. The people of Nazareth knew that 
He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. 
About them were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness 
in any house; for He had passed through them, and healed all their 
sick. The mercy revealed in every act of His life, testified to His 
divine anointing. 

Again as they listened to His words the Nazarenes were moved by 
the divine Spirit. But even now they would not admit that this man, who 
had been brought up among them, was other or greater than themselves. 
Still there rankled the bitter memory that while He had claimed for 
Himself to be the Promised One, He had really denied them a place 
with Israel; for He had shown them to be less worthy of God’s favor 
than a heathen man and woman. Hence though they questioned, 
“Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” they 
would not receive Him as the Christ of God. Because of their unbelief, 
the Saviour could not work many miracles among them. Only a few 
hearts were open to His blessing, and reluctantly He departed, never 
to return. 

Unbelief, having once been cherished, continued to control the men 
of Nazareth. So it controlled the Sanhedrim and the nation. With 
priests and people, the first rejection of the demonstration of the Holy 
Spirit’s power was the beginning of the end. In order to prove that 
their first resistance was right, they continued ever after to cavil at the 
words of Christ. Their rejection of the Spirit culminated in the cross 
of Calvary, in the destruction of their city, in the scattering of the nation 
to the winds of heaven. 

O, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the 
truth! But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to 
reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their 
creed and their useless ceremonies, when the truth of Heaven awaited 


15 


1 Micah 7:18. 


24 ? 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


their acceptance. They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the 
bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word 
of God, and search diligently to know whether they were in error? 
The Old Testament Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ’s 
ministry, and again and again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, 
“To-day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” If they had honestly 
searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God’s 
word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence. He need not 
have declared, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate .” 1 They 
might have been acquainted with the evidence of His Messiahship, and 
the calamity that laid their proud city in ruins might have been averted. 
But the minds of the Jews had become narrowed by their unreasoning 
bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their deficiencies of character, 
and demanded repentance. If they accepted His teachings, their practises 
must be changed, and their cherished hopes relinquished. In order to be 
honored by Heaven, they must sacrifice the honor of men. If they obeyed 
the words of this new rabbi, they must go contrary to the opinions of the 
great thinkers and teachers of the time. 

Truth was unpopular in Christ’s day. It is unpopular in our day. 
It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for 
it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not to¬ 
day meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word 
of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their 
traditions. 

The Jewish leaders were filled with spiritual pride. Their desire 
for the glorification of self manifested itself even in the service of the 
sanctuary. They loved the highest seats in the synagogue. They loved 
greetings in the market-places, and were gratified with the sound of their 
titles on the lips of men. As real piety declined, they became more 
jealous for their traditions and ceremonies. 

Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they 
could not harmonize the power of Christ’s convicting words with the 
humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness 
can dispense with outward show. This man’s poverty seemed wholly 
inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He 
was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was 
satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their 
nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated, bring 
the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests 

1 Luke 13: 35. 


IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTER’S SON? 


2 43 


taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth ? and could it be 
possible that the great religious teachers were in error? 

But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that 
led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and 
they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. 
His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed 
their insincerity. It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious 
piety, and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a 
light was unwelcome. 

If Christ had called attention to the Pharisees, and had extolled their 
learning and piety, they would have hailed Him with joy. But when 
He spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a dispensation of mercy for all 
mankind, He was presenting a phase of religion they would not tolerate. 
Their own example and teaching had never been such as to make the 
service of God seem desirable. When they saw Jesus giving attention to 
the very ones they hated and repulsed, it stirred up the worst passions of 
their proud hearts. Notwithstanding their boast that under the “Lion 
of the tribe of Judah ,” 1 Israel should be exalted to pre-eminence over 
all nations, they could have borne the disappointment of their ambitious 
hopes better than they could bear Christ’s reproof of their sins, and the 
reproach they felt even from the presence of His purity. 

1 Rev. 5 :5. 






CHAPTER TWENTY-FIUE. 

AY was breaking over the Sea of Galilee. The disciples, weary 
with a night of fruitless toil, were still in their fishing boats 
on the lake. Jesus had come to spend a quiet hour by the 
water side. In the early morning He hoped for a little 
season of rest from the multitude that followed Him day after 
day. But soon the people began to gather about Him. Their numbers 
rapidly increased, so that He was pressed upon all sides. Meanwhile 
the disciples had come to land. In order to escape the pressure of the 
multitude, Jesus stepped into Peter’s boat, and bade him pull out a little 
from the shore. Here Jesus could be better seen and heard by all, 

and from the boat He taught the multitude on the beach. 

What a scene w r as this for angels to contemplate; — their glorious 
Commander, sitting in a fisherman’s boat, swayed to and fro by the 
restless waves, and proclaiming the good news of salvation to the listening 
throng that were pressing down to the water’s edge! He who was the 
Honored of heaven was declaring the great things of His kingdom in 
the open air, to the common people. Yet He could have had no more 
fitting scene for His labors. The lake, the mountains, the spreading 
This chapter is based on Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11. 

( 244 ) 










THE CALL BY THE SEA. 


245 


fields, the sunlight flooding the earth, all furnished objects to illustrate 
His lessons and impress them upon the mind. And no lesson of Christ’s 
fell fruitless. Every message from His lips came to some soul as the 
word of eternal life. 

Every moment added to the multitude upon the shore. Aged men 
leaning upon their staffs, hardy peasants from the hills, fishermen from 
their toil on the lake, merchants and rabbis, the rich and learned, old 
and young, bringing their sick and suffering ones, pressed to hear the 
words of the divine Teacher. To such scenes as this the prophets had 
looked forward, and they wrote,— 

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, 

Toward the sea, beyond Jordan, 

Galilee of the Gentiles, 

The people which sat in darkness 
Saw a great light, 

And to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, 

To them did light spring up.” 1 

Besides the throng on the shores of Gennesaret, Jesus in His sermon 
by the sea had other audiences before His mind. Looking down the ages, 
He saw His faithful ones in prison and judgment hall, in temptation and 
loneliness and affliction. Every scene of joy and conflict and perplexity 
was open before Him. In the words spoken to those gathered about 
Him, He was speaking also to these other souls, the very words that 
would come to them as a message of hope in trial, of comfort in sorrow, 
and heavenly light in darkness. Through the Holy Spirit, that voice 
which was speaking from the fisherman’s boat on the Sea of Galilee, 
would be heard speaking peace to human hearts to the close of time. 

The discourse ended, Jesus turned to Peter, and bade him launch 
out into the sea, and let down his net for a draught. But Peter was 
disheartened. All night he had taken nothing. During the lonely hours 
he had thought of the fate of John the Baptist, who was languishing 
alone in his dungeon. He had thought of the prospect before Jesus and 
His followers, of the ill success of the mission to Judea, and the malice 
of the priests and rabbis. Even his own occupation had failed him; 
and as he watched by the empty nets, the future had seemed dark with 
discouragement. “Master,” he said, “we have toiled all the night, and 
have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.” 

Night was the only favorable time for fishing with nets in the clear 
waters of the lake. After toiling all night without success, it seemed 


1 R. V. 


246 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


hopeless to cast the net by day; but Jesus had given the command, 
and love for their Master moved the disciples to obey. Simon and his 
brother together let down the net. As they attempted to draw it in, so 
great was the quantity of fish inclosed that it began to break. They 
were obliged to summon James and John to their aid. When the catch 
was secured, both the boats were so heavily laden that they were in 
danger of sinking. 

But Peter was unmindful now of boats or lading. This miracle, above 
any other he had ever witnessed, was to him a manifestation of divine 
power. In Jesus he saw One who held all nature under His control. 
The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his 
Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of 
Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite 
purity, overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the 
contents of the net, Peter fell at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming, “Depart 
from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 

It was the same presence of divine holiness that had caused the 
prophet Daniel to fall as one dead before the angel of God. He said, 
“My comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no 
strength.” So when Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he exclaimed, 
“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and 
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen 
the King, the Lord of hosts .” 1 Humanity, with its weakness and sin, was 
brought in contrast with the perfection of divinity, and he felt altogether 
deficient and unholy. Thus it has been with all who have been granted 
a view of God’s greatness and majesty. 

Peter exclaimed, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man;” yet he 
clung to the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from Him. 
The Saviour answered, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch 
men.” It was after Isaiah had beheld the holiness of God and his own 
unworthiness, that he was intrusted with the divine message. It was after 
Peter had been led to self-renunciation and dependence upon divine power, 
that he received the call to his work for Christ. 

Until this time none of the disciples had fully united as co-laborers 
with Jesus. They had witnessed many of His miracles, and had listened 
to His teaching; but they had not entirely forsaken their former employ¬ 
ment. The imprisonment of John the Baptist had been to them all a 
bitter disappointment. If such were to be the outcome of John’s mission, 
they could have little hope for their Master, with all the religious leaders 

1 Dan. 10:8; Isa. 6: 5. 


TIBERIAS AND THE SEA OF GALILEE. 











THE CALL BY THE SEA. 


2 49 


combined against Him. Under the circumstances it was a relief to them 
to return for a short time to their fishing. But now Jesus called them to 
forsake their former life, and unite their interests with His. Peter had 
accepted the call. Upon reaching the shore, Jesus bade the three other 
disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately 
they left all, and followed Him. 

Before asking them to leave their nets and fishing boats, Jesus had 
given them the assurance that God would supply their needs. The use of 
Peter’s boat for the work of the gospel had been richly repaid. He who 
is “rich unto all that call upon Him,” has said, “Give, and it shall be 
given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and 
running over .” 1 In this measure He had rewarded the disciple’s service. 
And every sacrifice that is made in His ministry will be recompensed 
according to “the exceeding riches of His grace .” 2 

During that sad night on the lake, when they were separated from 
Christ, the disciples were pressed hard by unbelief, and weary with fruitless 
toil. But His presence kindled their faith, and brought them joy and 
success. So it is with us; apart from Christ, our work is fruitless, and 
it is easy to distrust and murmur. But when He is near, and we labor 
under His direction, we rejoice in the evidence of His power. It is 
Satan’s work to discourage the soul; it is Christ’s work to inspire with 
faith and hope. 

The deeper lesson which the miracle conveyed for the disciples, is a 
lesson for us also, — that He whose word could gather the fishes from the 
sea, could also impress human hearts, and draw them by the cords of His 
love, so that his servants might become “fishers of men.” 

They were humble and unlearned men, those fishers of Galilee; but 
Christ, the light of the world, was abundantly able to qualify them for the 
position for which He had chosen them. The Saviour did not despise 
education; for when controlled by the love of God, and devoted to His 
service, intellectual culture is a blessing. But He passed by the wise 
men of His time, because they were so self-confident that they could not 
sympathize with suffering humanity, and become co-laborers with the Man 
of Nazareth. In their bigotry they scorned to be taught by Christ. The 
Lord Jesus seeks the co-operation of those who will become unobstructed 
channels for the communication of His grace. The first thing to be 
learned by all who would become workers together with God, is the 
lesson of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them 
the character of Christ. This is not to be gained through education in the 
‘Rom. 10:12; Luke 6:38. 2 Eph. 3:20; 2:7. 


250 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


most scientific schools. It is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from 
the divine Teacher alone. 

Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled 
in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of 
native ability, and they were humble and teachable,— men whom He 
could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many 
a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he 
possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an 
equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skilful 
hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that 
Jesus called to be His co-laborers; and He gave them the advantage of 
association with Himself. Never had the world’s great men such a 
teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour’s training, they 
were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like Him in 
mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had 
been with Jesus. 

It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge 
merely, but to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the 
contact of mind with mind, and soul with soul. It is only life that can 
beget life. What privilege, then, was theirs who for three years were in 
daily contact with that divine life from which has flowed every life-giving 
impulse that has blessed the world. Above all his companions, John the 
beloved disciple yielded himself to the power of that wondrous life. He 
says, “The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and 
show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was 
manifested unto us.” “Of His fulness have all we received, and grace 
for grace .” 1 

In the apostles of our Lord there was nothing to bring glory to 
themselves. It was evident that the success of their labors was due only 
to God. The lives of these men, the characters they developed, and the 
mighty work that God wrought through them, are a testimony to what 
He will do for all who are teachable and obedient. 

He who loves Christ the most, will do the greatest amount of good. 
There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, 
makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and 
lives a life wholly consecrated to God. If men will endure the necessary 
discipline, without complaining, or fainting by the way, God will teach 
them hour by hour, and day by day. He longs to reveal His grace. 
If His people will remove the obstructions, He will pour forth the 

1 1 John 1:2; John 1:16. 


THE CALL BY THE SEA. 


2 5 I 


waters of salvation in abundant streams through the human channels. 
If men in humble life were encouraged to do all the good they could 
do, if restraining hands were not laid upon them to repress their zeal, 
there would be a hundred workers for Christ where now there is one. 

God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if 
they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received into the 
soul, will quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 
the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God, develops harmoniously, 
and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfil the requirements of God. 
The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and 
steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between 
Jesus and His disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind 
and character. Through a connection with Christ he will have clearer and 
broader views. His discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment 
better balanced. He who longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened 
by the life-giving power of the Sun of Righteousness, that he is enabled 
to bear much fruit to the glory of God. 

Men of the highest education in the arts and sciences have learned 
precious lessons from Christians in humble life who were designated 
by the world as unlearned. But these obscure disciples had obtained an 
education in the highest of all schools. They had sat at the feet of Him 
who spoke as “never man spake.” 




CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. 

T Capernaum Jesus dwelt in the intervals of His journeys to 
and fro, and it came to be known as “His own city.” It was 
on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and near the borders of 
the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, if not actually upon it. 

The deep depression of the lake gives to the plain that 
skirts its shores the genial climate of the south. Here in the days of 
Christ flourished the palm-tree and the olive, here were orchards and 
vineyards, green fields, and brightly blooming flowers in rich luxuriance, 
all watered by living streams bursting from the cliffs. The shores of 
the lake, and the hills that at a little distance encircle it, were dotted 
with towns and villages. The lake was covered with fishing boats. 
Everywhere was the stir of busy, active life. 

Capernaum itself was well adapted to be the center of the Saviour’s 
work. Being on the highway from Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt, 
and to the Mediterranean Sea, it was a great thoroughfare of travel. 
People from many lands passed through the city, or tarried for rest in 
their journeyings to and fro. Here Jesus could meet all nations and 
all ranks, the rich and great as well as the poor and lowly, and His 
lessons would be carried to other countries and into many households. 
Investigation of the prophecies would thus be excited, attention would 
be directed to the Saviour, and His mission would be brought before 
the world. 



(252) 















AT CAPERNAUM. 


253 


Notwithstanding the action of the Sanhedrim against Jesus, the people 
eagerly awaited the development of His mission. All heaven was astir 
with interest. Angels were preparing the way for His ministry, moving 
upon men’s hearts, and drawing them to the Saviour. 

In Capernaum the nobleman’s son whom Christ had healed, was a 
witness to His power. And the court official and his household joyfully 
testified of their faith. When it was known that the Teacher Himself 
was among them, the whole city was aroused. Multitudes flocked to His 
presence. On the Sabbath the people crowded the synagogue until great 
numbers had to turn away, unable to find entrance. 

All who heard the Saviour “were astonished at His doctrine; for His 
word was with power.” “He taught them as one having authority, 
and not as the scribes .” 1 The teaching of the scribes and elders was 
cold and formal, like a lesson learned by rote. To them the word of God 
possessed no vital power. Their own ideas and traditions were substituted 
for its teaching. In the accustomed round of service they professed to 
explain the law, but no inspiration from God stirred their own hearts 
or the hearts of their hearers. 

Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissension among 
the Jews. It was His work to present the truth. His words shed a flood 
of light upon the teachings of patriarchs and prophets, and the Scriptures 
came to men as a new revelation. Never before had His hearers perceived 
such a depth of meaning in the word of God. 

Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was acquainted 
with their perplexities. He made truth beautiful by presenting it in the 
most direct and simple way. His language was pure, refined, and clear 
as a running stream. His voice was as music to those who had listened 
to the monotonous tones of the rabbis. But while His teaching was 
simple, He spoke as one having authority. This characteristic set 
His teaching in contrast with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with 
doubt and hesitancy, as if the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean 
one thing or exactly the opposite. The hearers were daily involved in 
greater uncertainty. But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable 
authority. Whatever His subject, it was presented with power, as if His 
words could not be controverted. 

Yet He was earnest, rather than vehement. He spoke as one who 
had a definite purpose to fulfil. He was bringing to view the realities of 
the eternal world. In every theme, God was revealed. Jesus sought to 
break the spell of infatuation which keeps men absorbed in earthly things. 

1 Luke 4:32; Matt. 7 : 29. 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


254 

He placed the things of this life in their true relation, as subordinate 
to those of eternal interest; but He did not ignore their importance. He 
taught that heaven and earth are linked together, and that a knowledge of 
divine truth prepares men better to perform the duties of every-day life. 
He spoke as one familiar with heaven, conscious of His relationship to 
God, yet recognizing His unity with every member of the human family. 

His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew 
“how to speak a word in season to him that is weary ;” 1 for grace was 
poured upon His lips, that He might convey to men in the most attractive 
way the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds, 
and surprise them with illustrations that won their attention. Through 
the imagination He reached the heart. His illustrations were taken 
from the things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had 
in them a wonderful depth of meaning. The birds of the air, the lilies 
of the field, the seed, the shepherd and the sheep, — with these objects 
Christ illustrated immortal truth; and ever afterward, when His hearers 
chanced to see these things of nature, they recalled His words. Christ’s 
illustrations constantly repeated his lessons. 

Christ never flattered men. He never spoke that which would exalt 
their fancies and imaginations, nor did He praise them for their clever 
inventions; but deep, unprejudiced thinkers received His teaching, and 
found that it tested their wisdom. They marveled at the spiritual truth 
expressed in the simplest language. The most highly educated were 
charmed with His words, and the uneducated were always profited. He 
had a message for the illiterate; and He made even the heathen to 
understand that He had a message for them. 

His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and 
troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was 
surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, 
the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and 
tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not 
been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look 
and word, He would not have attracted the large congregations that 
He did. The afflicted ones who came to Him, felt that He linked His 
interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to 
know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They 
longed to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be 
with them continually. 

Jesus watched with deep earnestness the changing countenances of 

Hsa. 50:4. 


AT CAPERNAUM. 


2 55 


His hearers. The faces that expressed interest and pleasure, gave Him 
great satisfaction. As the arrows of truth pierced to the soul, breaking 
through the barriers of selfishness, and working contrition, and finally 
gratitude, the Saviour was made glad. When His eye swept over the 
throng of listeners, and He recognized among them the faces He had 
before seen, His countenance lighted up with joy. He saw in them 
hopeful subjects for His kingdom. When the truth, plainly spoken, 
touched some cherished idol, He marked the change of countenance, 
the cold, forbidding look, which told that the light was unwelcome. 
When He saw men refuse the 
message of peace, His heart was 
pierced to the very depths. 

Jesus in the synagogue spoke 
of the kingdom He had come to 
establish, and of His mission to 
set free the captives of Satan. 

He was interrupted by a shriek 
of terror. A madman rushed 
forward from among the people, 
crying out, “Let us alone; what 
have we to do with Thee, Thou 
Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come 
to destroy us? I know Thee who 
Thou art, the Holy One of God.” 

All was now confusion and 
alarm. The attention of the 
people was diverted from Christ, 
and His words were unheeded. 

This was Satan’s purpose in leading his victim to the synagogue. But 
Jesus rebuked the demon, saying, “Hold thy peace, and come out of 
him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out 
of him, and hurt him not.” 

The mind of this wretched sufferer had been darkened by Satan, but 
in the Saviour’s presence a ray of light had pierced the gloom. He 
was roused to long for freedom from Satan’s control; but the demon 
resisted the power of Christ. When the man tried to appeal to Jesus for 
help, the evil spirit put words into his mouth, and he cried out in an 
agony of fear. The demoniac partially comprehended that he was in the 
presence of One who could set him free; but when he tried to come 
within reach of that mighty hand, another’s will held him; another’s 



"A madman rushed forward from among 
the people.” 


* 


256 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


words found utterance through him. The conflict between the power of 
Satan and his own desire for freedom was terrible. 

He who had conquered Satan in the wilderness of temptation was 
again brought face to face with His enemy. The demon exerted all his 
power to retain control of his victim. To lose ground here, would be 
to give Jesus a victory. It seemed that the tortured man must lose 
his life in the struggle with the foe that had been the ruin of his 
manhood. But the Saviour spoke with authority, and set the captive 
free. The man who had been possessed stood before the wondering 
people happy in the freedom of self-possession. Even the demon had 
testified to the divine power of the Saviour. 

The man praised God for his deliverance. The eye that had so 
lately glared with the fire of insanity, now beamed with intelligence, and 
overflowed with grateful tears. The people were dumb with amazement. 
As soon as they recovered speech they exclaimed, one to another, “What 
is this ? A new teaching! with authority He commandeth even the 
unclean spirits, and they obey Him .” 1 

The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful 
spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself, was in his own life. He 
had been fascinated by the pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life 
a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a terror to the world 
and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent 
in innocent folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly 
descended. Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of 
his nature, and Satan took absolute control of him. 

Remorse came too late. When he would have sacrificed wealth and 
pleasure to regain his lost manhood, he had become helpless in the grasp 
of the evil one. He had placed himself on the enemy’s ground, and 
Satan had taken possession of all his faculties. The tempter had allured 
him with many charming presentations; but when once the wretched man 
was in his power, the fiend became relentless in his cruelty, and terrible 
in his angry visitations. So it will be with all who yield to evil; the 
fascinating pleasure of their early career ends in the darkness of despair 
or the madness of a ruined soul. 

The same evil spirit that tempted Christ in the wilderness, and that 
possessed the maniac of Capernaum, controlled the unbelieving Jews. 
But with them he assumed an air of piety, seeking to deceive them as to 
their motives in rejecting the Saviour. Their condition was more hopeless 


1 R. V. 


AT CAPERNAUM. 


257 



than that of the demoniac; for they felt no need of Christ, and were 
therefore held fast under the power of Satan. 

The period of Christ’s personal ministry among men was the time of 
greatest activity for the forces of the kingdom of darkness. For ages 
Satan with his evil angels had been seeking to control the bodies and the 
souls of men, to bring upon them sin and suffering; then he had charged 
all this misery upon God. Jesus was revealing to men the character of 
God. He was breaking Satan’s power, and setting his captives free. New 
life and love and power from heaven were moving upon the hearts of men, 
and the prince of evil was aroused to contend for the supremacy of his 

kingdom. Satan summoned all 
his forces, and at every step con¬ 
tested the work of Christ. 

So it will be in the great 
final conflict of the controversy 
between righteousness and sin. 
While new life and light and 
power are descending from on 
high upon the disciples of Christ, 
a new life is springing up from 
beneath, and energizing the agen¬ 
cies of Satan. Intensity is taking 
possession of every earthly ele¬ 
ment. With a subtlety gained 
through centuries of conflict, the 
prince of evil works under a disguise. 
He appears clothed as an angel of light, 
and multitudes are “giving heed to se¬ 
ducing spirits, and doctrines of devils .” 1 

In the days of Christ the leaders 
and teachers of Israel were powerless to 
resist the work of Satan. They were neglecting the only means by 
which they could have withstood evil spirits. It was by the word of God 
that Christ overcame the wicked one. The leaders of Israel professed to 
be the expositors of God’s word, but they had studied it only to sustain 
their traditions, and enforce their man-made observances. By their 
interpretation they made it express sentiments that God had never given. 
Their mystical construction made indistinct that which He had made plain. 
They disputed over insignificant technicalities, and practically denied the 


'The man praised God for his de¬ 
liverance.” 


1 1 Tim. 4:1. 




THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


258 

most essential truths. Thus infidelity was sown broadcast. God’s word 
was robbed of its power, and evil spirits worked their will. 

History is repeating. With the open Bible before them, and professing 
to reverence its teachings, many of the religious leaders of our time are 
destroying faith in it as the word of God. They busy themselves with 
dissecting the word, and set their own opinions above its plainest state¬ 
ments. In their hands God’s word loses its regenerating power. This 
is why infidelity runs riot, and iniquity is rife. 

When Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he directs men to other 
sources for light and power. Thus he insinuates himself. Those who 
turn from the plain teaching of Scripture and the convicting power of 
God’s Holy Spirit, are inviting the control of demons. Criticism and 
speculation concerning the Scriptures have opened the way for Spiritualism 
and Theosophy — those modernized forms of ancient heathenism — to gain 
a foothold even in the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Side by side with the preaching of the gospel, agencies are at work 
which are but the medium of lying spirits. Many a man tampers with 
these merely from curiosity, but seeing evidence of the working of a more 
than human power, he is lured on and on, until he is controlled by a will 
stronger than his own. He cannot escape from its mysterious power. 

The defenses of the soul are broken down. He has no barrier against 
sin. When once the restraints of God’s word and His Spirit are rejected, 
no man knows to what depths of degradation he may sink. Secret sin or 
master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac 
of Capernaum. Yet his condition is not hopeless. 

The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by W'hich 
Christ overcame,—the power of the word. God does not control our 
minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, 
His promises are ours: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall 
make you free.” “If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of 
the teaching .” 1 Through faith in these promises, every man may be 
delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin. 

Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over 
him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find 
deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only 
the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry 
from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. 
Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of 
heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own 
'John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. 


AT CAPERNAUM. 


259 



nature. They are invited by the Saviour, “Let him take hold of My 
strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with 
Me .” 1 The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their 
dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing 
power. The Lord says, “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or 
the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the cap¬ 
tives of the mighty 
shall be taken away, 
and the prey of the 
terrible shall be de¬ 
livered; for I will 
contend with him 
that contendeth with 
thee, and I will save 
thy children .” 2 

While the con¬ 
gregation in the 
synagogue were still 
spellbound with awe, 

Jesus withdrew to 
the home of Peter 
for a little rest. But 
here also a shadow 

had fallen. The mother of Peter’s wife lay 
sick, stricken with a “great fever.” Jesus 
rebuked the disease, and the sufferer arose, 
and ministered to the wants of the Master 
and His disciples. 

Tidings of the work of Christ spread rap¬ 
idly throughout Capernaum. For fear of the 
rabbis, the people dared not come for healing 
upon the Sabbath; but no sooner had the 
sun disappeared below the horizon than there was a great commotion. 
From the homes, the shops, the market-places, the inhabitants of the 
city pressed toward the humble dwelling that sheltered Jesus. The sick 
were brought upon couches, they came leaning upon staffs, or, supported 
by friends, they tottered feebly into the Saviour’s presence. 

Hour after hour they came and went; for none could know whether 
to-morrow would find the Healer still among them. Never before had 
1 Isa. 27:5. 2 Isa. 49:24, 25. 


"The air Wasfilled With 
the Voice of triumph and 
shouts of deliverance.” 

Page 260. 


16 








26o 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Capernaum witnessed a day like this. The air was filled with the voice 
of triumph and shouts of deliverance. The Saviour was joyful in the 
joy He had awakened. As He witnessed the sufferings of those who 
had come to Him, His heart was stirred with sympathy, and He rejoiced 
in His power to restore them to health and happiness. 

Not until the last sufferer had been re¬ 
lieved, did Jesus cease His work. It was far 
into the night when the multitude departed, 
and silence settled down upon the home of 
Simon. The long, exciting day was past, and 
Jesus sought rest. But while the city was still 
wrapped in slumber, the Saviour, “rising up a 
great while before day, went out, and departed 
into a solitary place, and there prayed.” 

Thus were spent the days in the earthly 
life of Jesus. He often dismissed His disciples 
to visit their homes and rest; but He gently 
resisted their efforts to draw Him away from 
His labors. All day He toiled, teaching the 
ignorant, healing the sick, giving sight to the 
blind, feeding the multitude; and at the even¬ 
tide or in the early morning, He went away 
to the sanctuary of the mountains for commun¬ 
ion with His Father. Often He passed the 
entire night in prayer and meditation, returning 
at daybreak to His work among the people. 

Early in the morning, Peter and his com¬ 
panions came to Jesus, saying that already the 
people of Capernaum were seeking Him. The 
disciples had been bitterly disappointed at the 
reception which Christ had met hitherto. The 
authorities at Jerusalem were seeking to murder 
Him; even His own townsmen had tried to 
take His life; but at Capernaum He was wel¬ 
comed with joyful enthusiasm, and the hopes of the disciples kindled anew. 
It might be that among the liberty-loving Galileans were to be found the 
supporters of the new kingdom. But with surprise they heard Christ’s 
words, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also; for 
therefore am I sent.” 

In the excitement which then pervaded Capernaum, there was danger 



" But While the city Was still 
Wrapped irv slumber." 




AT CAPERNAUM. 


26l 


that the object of His mission would be lost sight of. Jesus was not 
satisfied to attract attention to Himself merely as a wonder-worker or a 
healer of physical diseases. He was seeking to draw men to Him as their 
Saviour. While the people were eager to believe that He had come as 
a king, to establish an earthly reign, He desired to turn their minds 
away from the earthly to the spiritual. Mere worldly success would 
interfere with His work. 

And the wonder of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit. In 
His life no self-assertion mingled. The homage which the world gives 
to position, or wealth, or talent, was foreign to the Son of man. None of 
the means that men employ to win allegiance or command homage did 
Jesus use. Centuries before His birth, it had been prophesied of Him, 
“He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the 
street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the dimly burning 1 
flax shall He not quench; He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in 
the earth .” 2 

The Pharisees sought distinction by their scrupulous ceremonialism, 
and the ostentation of their worship and charities. They proved their 
zeal for religion by making it the theme of discussion. Disputes between 
opposing sects were loud and long, and it was not unusual to hear on 
the streets the voice of angry controversy from learned doctors of the law. 

In marked contrast to all this was the life of Jesus. In that life no 
noisy disputation, no ostentatious worship, no act to gain applause, was 
ever witnessed. Christ was hid in God, and God was revealed in the 
character of His Son. To this revelation Jesus desired the minds of 
the people to be directed, and their homage to be given. 

The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, 
to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of Christ, “His going 
forth is prepared as the morning .” 3 Quietly and gently the daylight 
breaks upon the earth, dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking 
the world to life. So did the Sun of Righteousness arise, “with healing 
in His wings .” 4 

1 Margin. 2 Isa. 42:2-4. 3 Hosea 6:3. 4 Mai. 4:2. 






THOU CANST 
MAKE ME CLEAN 


CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. 


F all diseases known in the East the leprosy was most dreaded. 
Its incurable and contagious character, and its horrible effect 
upon its victims, filled the bravest with fear. Among the 
Jews it was regarded as a judgment on account of sin, 
and hence was called, “The stroke,” “the finger of God.” 
Deep-rooted, ineradicable, deadly, it was looked upon as a symbol of sin. 
By the ritual law, the leper was pronounced unclean. Like one already 
dead, he was shut out from the habitations of men. Whatever he 
touched was unclean. The air was polluted by his breath. One 
who was suspected of having the disease must present himself to the 
priests, who were to examine and decide his case. If pronounced a 
leper, he was isolated from his family, cut off from the congregation of 
Israel, and was doomed to associate with those only who were similarly 
afflicted. The law was inflexible in its requirement. Even kings and 
rulers were not exempt A monarch who was attacked by this terrible 
disease must yield up the scepter, and flee from society. 

Away from his friends and his kindred, the leper must bear the 
curse of his malady. He was obliged to publish his own calamity, 
to rend his garments, and sound the alarm, warning all to flee from 
his contaminating presence. The cry, “Unclean! unclean!” coming in 
mournful tones from the lonely exile, was a signal heard with fear 
and abhorrence. 

In the region of Christ’s ministry, there were many of these sufferers, 
and the news of His work reached them, kindling a gleam of hope. But 
since the days of Elisha the prophet, such a thing had never been known 



This chapter is based on Matt. 8:2-4 ; 9 :1-8, 32-34; Mark 1:40-45; 2 :1-12; 


(262) 


Luke 5 :12-28. 










THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN. 


263 


as the cleansing of one upon whom this disease had fastened. They 
dared not expect Jesus to do for them what He had never done for any 
man. There was one, however, in whose heart faith began to spring up. 
Yet the man knew not how to reach Jesus. Debarred as he was from 
contact with his fellow-men, how could he present himself to the Healer? 
And he questioned if Christ would heal him. Would He stoop to notice 
one believed to be suffering under the judgment of God? Would He 
not, like the Pharisees, and even the physicians, pronounce a curse upon 
him, and warn him to flee from the haunts of men? He thought of 
all that had been told him of Jesus. Not one who had sought His 
help had been turned away. The wretched man determined to find the 
Saviour. Though shut out from the cities, it might be that he could 
cross His path in some byway along the mountain roads, or find Him 
as He was teaching outside the towns. The difficulties were great, but 
this was his only hope. 

The leper is guided to the Saviour. Jesus is teaching beside the lake, 
and the people are gathered about Him. Standing afar off, the leper 
catches a few words from the Saviour’s lips. He sees Him laying His 
hands upon the sick. He sees the lame, the blind, the paralytic, and 
those dying of various maladies, rise up in health, praising God for their 
deliverance. Faith strengthens in his heart. He draws nearer and yet 
nearer to the gathered throng. The restrictions laid upon him, the safety 
of the people, and the fear with which all men regard him, are forgotten. 
He thinks only of the blessed hope of healing. 

He is a loathsome spectacle. The disease has made frightful inroads, 
and his decaying body is horrible to look upon. At sight of him the 
people fall back in terror. They crowd upon one another in their 
eagerness to escape from contact with him. Some try to prevent him 
from approaching Jesus, but in vain. He neither sees nor hears them. 
Their expressions of loathing are lost upon him. He sees only the Son 
of God. He hears only the voice that speaks life to the dying. Pressing 
to Jesus, he casts himself at His feet with the cry, “Lord, if Thou wilt, 
Thou canst make me clean.” 

Jesus replied, “I will; be thou made clean ,” 1 and laid His hand 
upon him. 

Immediately a change passed over the leper. His flesh became 
healthy, the nerves sensitive, the muscles firm. The rough, scaly surface 
peculiar to leprosy disappeared, and a soft glow, like that upon the skin 
of a healthy child, took its place. 

!R. V. 


264 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



Jesus charged the man not to make known the work that had been 
wrought, but straightway to present himself with an offering at the temple. 
Such an offering could not be accepted until the priests had made exami¬ 
nation and pronounced the man wholly free from the disease. However 
unwilling they might be to perform this service, they could not evade an 
examination and decision of the case. 

The words of Scripture show with what urgency Christ enjoined upon 
the man the necessity of silence and prompt action. “ He 
straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; and 
saith unto him, See thou say nothing to 
any man; but go thy way, show thyself 
to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing 
those things which Moses commanded, 
for a testimony unto them.” Had the 
priests known the facts concerning the 
healing of the leper, their hatred of 
Christ might have led them to 
render a dishonest sentence. Jesus 
desired the man to present himself 
at the temple before any rumors 
concerning the miracle had reached 
them. Thus an impartial decision 
could be secured, and the restored 
leper would be permitted to unite 
once more with his family and 
friends. 

There were other objects which 
Christ had in view in enjoining 
silence on the man. The Saviour 
knew that His enemies were ever seeking to limit His work, and to turn 
the people from Him. He knew that if the healing of the leper were 
noised abroad, other sufferers from this terrible disease would crowd about 
Him, and the ciy would be raised that the people would be contaminated 
by contact with them. Many of the lepers would not so use the gift of 
health as to make it a blessing to themselves or to others. And by 
drawing the lepers about Him, He would give occasion for the charge 
that He was breaking down the restrictions of the ritual law. Thus His 
work in preaching the gospel would be hindered. 

The event justified Christ’s warning. A multitude of people had 
witnessed the healing of the leper, and they were eager to learn of the 


At sight of him the 
people fall back in ter¬ 
ror.” Page 263. 


THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN. 


265 


priests’ decision. When the man returned to his friends, there was great 
excitement. Notwithstanding the caution of Jesus, the man made no 
further effort to conceal the fact of his cure. It would indeed have 
been impossible to conceal it, but the leper published the matter abroad. 
Conceiving that it was only the modesty of Jesus which laid this restriction 
upon him, he went about proclaiming the power of this great Healer. 
He did not understand that every such manifestation made the priests 
and elders more determined to destroy Jesus. The restored man felt 
that the boon of health was very precious. He rejoiced in the vigor 
of manhood, and in his restoration to his family and society, and felt it 
impossible to refrain from giving glory to the Physician who had made 
him whole. But his act in blazing abroad the matter resulted in hindering 
the Saviour’s work: It caused the people to flock to Him in such 
multitudes that He was forced for a time to cease His labors. 

Every act of Christ’s ministry was far-reaching in its purpose. It 
comprehended more than appeared in the act itself. So in the case 
of the leper. While Jesus ministered to all who came unto Him, He 
yearned to bless those who came not. While He drew the publicans, 
the heathen, and the Samaritans, He longed to reach the priests and 
teachers who were shut in by prejudice and tradition. He left untried 
no means by which they might be reached. In sending the healed 
leper to the priests, He gave them a testimony calculated to disarm 
their prejudices. 

The Pharisees had asserted that Christ’s teaching was opposed to the 
law which God had given through Moses; but His direction to the cleansed 
leper to present an offering according to the law, disproved this charge. 
It was sufficient testimony for all who were willing to be convinced. 

The leaders at Jerusalem had sent out spies to find some pretext 
for putting Christ to death. He responded by giving them an evidence 
of His love for humanity, His respect for the law, and His power to 
deliver from sin and death. Thus He bore witness of them: “They 
have rewarded Me evil for good, and hatred for My love .” 1 Pie who 
on the mount gave the precept, “Love your enemies,” Himself exem¬ 
plified the principle, not rendering “evil for evil, or railing for railing; 
but contrariwise blessing .” 2 

The same priests who condemned the leper to banishment, certified 
his cure. This sentence, publicly pronounced and registered, was a 
standing testimony for Christ. And as the healed man was re-instated 
in the congregation of Israel, upon the priests’ own assurance that there 
1 Ps. 109: 5. 2 Matt. 5:44; 1 Peter 3:9. 


266 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


was not a taint of the disease upon him, he himself was a living witness 
for his Benefactor. Joyfully he presented his offering, and magnified 
the name of Jesus. The priests were convinced of the divine power 
of the Saviour. Opportunity was granted them to know the truth and to 
be profited by the light. Rejected, it would pass away, never to return. 
By many the light was rejected; yet it was not given in vain. Many 
hearts were moved that for a time made no sign. During the Saviour’s 
life, His mission seemed to call forth little response of love from the 
priests and teachers; but after His ascension “a great company of 
the priests were obedient to the faith .” 1 

The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease 
is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man 
who came to Jesus was “full of leprosy.” Its deadly poison permeated 
his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from 
touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. 
But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. 
His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus 
it is with the leprosy of sin,— deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be 
cleansed by human power. “The whole head is sick, and the whole 
heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no 
soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores .” 2 But 
Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution. His presence 
has healing virtue for the sinner. Whoever will fall at His feet, saying 
in faith, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean,” shall hear 
the answer, “I will, be thou made clean .” 3 

In some instances of healing, Jesus did not at once grant the blessing 
sought. But in the case of leprosy, no sooner was the appeal made 
than it was granted. When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer 
to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other 
than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is 
His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable 
us to live a holy life. Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He 
might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of 
God and our Father.” And “this is the confidence that we have in 
Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; 
and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we 
have the petitions that we desire of Him .” 4 “If we confess our sins, 
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness .” 6 

1 Acts6:7. 2 Isa. 1:5,6. 3 R. V. *Gal. 1:4; 1 John 5:14, 15. 6 i John 1:9. 


THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN. 


267 


In the healing of the paralytic at Capernaum, Christ again taught 
the same truth. It was to manifest His power to forgive sins, that the 
miracle was performed. And the healing of the paralytic also illustrates 
other precious truths. It is full of hope and encouragement, and from its 
connection with the caviling Pharisees, it has a lesson of warning as well. 

Like the leper, this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His 
disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered 
by remorse. He had long before appealed to the Pharisees and doctors, 
hoping for relief from mental 
suffering and physical pain. But 
they coldly pronounced him in¬ 
curable, and abandoned him to 
the wrath of God. The Phari¬ 
sees regarded affliction as an 
evidence of divine displeasure, 
and they held themselves aloof 
from the sick and the needy. 

Yet often these very ones who 
exalted themselves as holy, were 
more guilty than the sufferers 
they condemned. 

The palsied man was entirely 
helpless, and seeing no prospect 

of aid from any quarter, he had sunk into despair. Then 
he heard of the wonderful works of Jesus. He was told 
that others as sinful and helpless as he had been healed; 
even lepers had been cleansed. And the friends who re¬ 
ported these things encouraged him to believe that he too might be 
cured if he could be carried to Jesus. But his hope fell when he 
remembered how the disease had been brought upon him. He feared 
that the pure physician would not tolerate him in His presence. 

Yet it was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from 
the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance 
of forgiveness, and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or 
die, according to God’s will. The cry of the dying man was, O that I 
might come into His presence! There was no time to lose; already 
his wasted flesh was showing signs of decay. He besought his friends 
to carry him on his bed to Jesus, and this they gladly undertook to 
do. But so dense was the crowd that had assembled in and about 
the house where the Saviour was, that it was impossible for the sick 



'The cry of the dying 
man Was, O that I might 
come into His presence.” 








268 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


man and his friends to reach Him, or even to come within hearing of 
His voice. 

Jesus was teaching in the house of Peter. According to their custom, 
His disciples sat close about Him, and “there were Pharisees and doctors 
of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and 
Judea, and Jerusalem.” These had come as spies, seeking an accusation 
against Jesus. Outside of these officials thronged the promiscuous 
multitude, the eager, the reverent, the curious, and the unbelieving. 
Different nationalities and all grades of society were represented. “And 
the power of the Lord was present to heal.” The Spirit of life brooded 
over the assembly, but Pharisees and doctors did not discern its presence. 
They felt no sense of need, and the healing was not for them. “He 
hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent 
empty away .” 1 

Again and again the bearers of the paralytic tried to push their way 
through the crowd, but in vain. The sick man looked about him in 
unutterable anguish. When the longed-for help was so near, how could 
he relinquish hope ? At his suggestion his friends bore him to the top 
of the house, and, breaking up the roof, let him down at the feet of 
Jesus. The discourse was interrupted. The Saviour looked upon the 
mournful countenance, and saw the pleading eyes fixed upon Him. He 
understood the case; He had drawn to Himself that perplexed and 
doubting spirit. While the paralytic was yet at home, the Saviour had 
brought conviction to his conscience. When he repented of his sins, 
and believed in the power of Jesus to make him whole, the life-giving 
mercies of the Saviour had first blessed his longing heart. Jesus had 
watched the first glimmer of faith grow into a belief that He was the 
sinner’s only helper, and had seen it grow stronger with every effort to 
come into His presence. 

Now, in words that fell like music on the sufferer’s ear, the Saviour 
said, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” 

The burden of despair rolls from the sick man’s soul; the peace of 
forgiveness rests upon his spirit, and shines out upon his countenance. 
His physical pain is gone, and his whole being is transformed. The 
helpless paralytic is healed ! the guilty sinner is pardoned ! 

In simple faith he accepted the words of Jesus as the boon of new 
life. He urged no further request, but lay in blissful silence, too happy 
for words. The light of heaven irradiated his countenance, and the 
people looked with awe upon the scene. 

1 Luke i: 53. 


THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN. 


269 



The rabbis had waited anxiously to see what disposition Christ would 
make of this case. They recollected how the man had appealed to them 
for help, and they had refused him hope or sympathy. Not satisfied 
with this, they had declared that he was suffering the curse of God for 
his sins. These things came fresh to their minds when they saw the 
sick man before them. They marked the interest with which all were 
watching the scene, and they felt 
a terrible fear of losing their 
own influence over the people. 

These dignitaries did not 
exchange words together, but 
looking into one another’s faces 
they read the same thought in 
each, that something must be done 
to arrest the tide of feeling. Jesus 
had declared that the sins of the par¬ 
alytic were forgiven. The Pharisees 
caught at these words as blasphemy, 
and conceived that they could present 
this as a sin worthy of death. They 
said in their hearts, “He blasphemeth; 
who can forgive sins but one, even 
God ?” 1 

Fixing His glance upon them, “And With aWe-stricken faces gazed 

, ..... . , upon him, whispering softly, We have 

beneath which they cowered, and seen strange things to-day. 1 ' Page 270. 

drew back, Jesus said, “Wherefore 

think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is it easier to say, Thy sins 
be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know 
that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,” he said, turning 
to the paralytic, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” 

Then he who had been borne on a litter to Jesus, rises to his feet 
with the elasticity and strength of youth. The life-giving blood bounds 
through his veins. Every organ of his body springs into sudden activity. 
The glow of health succeeds the pallor of approaching death. “And 
immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; 
insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We 
never saw it on this fashion.” 

O, wondrous love of Christ, stooping to heal the guilty and the 
afflicted! divinity sorrowing over and soothing the ills of suffering 


J R. V. 







270 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


humanity ! O, marvelous power thus displayed to the children of men ! 
Who can doubt the message of salvation ? Who can slight the mercies 
of a compassionate Redeemer ? 

It required nothing less than creative power to restore health to that 
decaying body. The same voice that spoke life to man created from 
the dust of the earth, had spoken life to the dying paralytic. And the 
same power that gave life to the body, had renewed the heart. He 
who at the creation “spake, and it was,” who “commanded, and it stood 
fast ,” 1 had spoken life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins. The 
healing of the body was an evidence of the power that had renewed the 
heart. Christ bade the paralytic arise and walk, “that ye may know,” 
He said, “that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” 

The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. 
The spiritual healing was followed by physical restoration. This lesson 
should not be overlooked. There are to-day thousands suffering from 
physical disease, who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy 
sins are forgiven.” The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied 
desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until 
they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can 
give, would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body. 

Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil.” “In Him was life,” 
and He says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they 
might have it more abundantly.” He is “a quickening spirit .” 2 And 
he still has the same life-giving power as when on earth He healed 
the sick, and spoke forgiveness to the sinner. He “forgiveth all thine 
iniquities,” He “healeth all thy diseases .” 3 

The effect produced upon the people by the healing of the paralytic 
was as if heaven had opened, and revealed the glories of the better 
world. As the man who had been cured, passed through the multitude, 
blessing God at every step, and bearing his burden as if it were a feather’s 
weight, the people fell back to give him room, and with awe-stricken 
faces gazed upon him, whispering softly among themselves, “We have 
seen strange things to-day.” 

The Pharisees were dumb with amazement and overwhelmed with 
defeat. They saw that here was no opportunity for their jealousy to 
inflame the multitude. The wonderful work wrought upon the man 
whom they had given over to the wrath of God, had so impressed the 
people that the rabbis were for the cime forgotten. They saw that 
Christ possessed a power which they had ascribed to God alone; yet 

*Ps. 33:9* 2 1 John 3:8; John 1: 4; 10: 10; 1 Cor. 15 : 45. 3 Ps. 103:3. 


THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN. 


271 

the gentle dignity of His manner was in marked contrast to their own 
haughty bearing. They were disconcerted and abashed, recognizing, 
but not confessing, the presence of a superior being. The stronger 
the evidence that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, the more 
firmly they entrenched themselves in unbelief. From the home of 
Peter, where they had seen the paralytic restored by His word, they 
went away to invent new schemes for silencing the Son of God. 

Physical disease, however malignant and deep-seated, was healed by 
the power of Christ; but the disease of the soul took a firmer hold upon 
those who closed their eyes against the light. Leprosy and palsy were 
not so terrible as bigotry and unbelief. 

In the home of the healed paralytic there was great rejoicing when 
he returned to his family, carrying with ease the couch upon which he 
had been slowly borne from their presence but a short time before. They 
gathered round with tears of joy, scarcely daring to believe their eyes. 
He stood before them in the full vigor of manhood. Those arms that 
they had seen lifeless were quick to obey his will. The flesh that had 
been shrunken and leaden-hued was now fresh and ruddy. He walked 
with a firm, free step. Joy and hope were written in every lineament 
of his countenance; and an expression of purity and peace had taken 
the place of the marks of sin and suffering. Glad thanksgiving went 
up from that home, and God was glorified through His Son, who had 
restored hope to the hopeless, and strength to the stricken one. This 
man and his family were ready to lay down their lives for Jesus. No 
doubt dimmed their faith, no unbelief marred their fealty to Him who 
had brought light into their darkened home. 



a 



CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT. 

F the Roman officials in Palestine, none were more hated 
than the publicans. The fact that the taxes were imposed 
by a foreign power was a continual irritation to the Jews, 
being a reminder that their independence had departed. 
And the tax-gatherers were not merely the instruments 
of Roman oppression; they were extortioners on their own account, 
enriching themselves at the expense of the people. A Jew who accepted 
this office at the hands of the Romans was looked upon as betraying 
the honor of his nation. He was despised as an apostate, and was 
classed with the vilest of society. 

To this class belonged Levi-Matthew, who, after the four disciples 
at Gennesaret, was the next to be called to Christ’s service. The 
Pharisees had judged Matthew according to his employment, but Jesus 
saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth. Matthew 
had listened to the Saviour’s teaching. As the convicting Spirit of God 
revealed his sinfulness, he longed to seek help from Christ; but he was 
accustomed to the exclusiveness of the rabbis, and had no thought that 
this great teacher would notice him. 

This chapter is based on Matt. 9: 9-17; Mark 2 :14-22; Luke 5: 27-39. 

( 272 ) 









LEVI-MATT HEW. 


273 


Sitting at his toll-booth one day, the publican saw Jesus approaching. 
Great was his astonishment to hear the words addressed to himself, 
“Follow Me.” 

Matthew “left all, rose up, and followed Him.” There was no 
hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be 
exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was 
to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with 
Him in His work. 

So it was with the disciples previously called. When Jesus bade 

Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats 

and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for 
support; but when they received the Saviour’s invitation, they did not 
hesitate, and inquire, “How shall I live, and sustain my family?” They 
were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, “When 
I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?” 
they could answer, “Nothing .” 1 

To Matthew in his wealth, and to Andrew and Peter in their poverty, 
the same test was brought; the same consecration was made by each. 

At the moment of success, when the nets were filled with fish, and the 

impulses of the old life were strongest, Jesus asked the disciples at 
the sea to leave all for the work of the gospel. So every soul is tested 
as to whether the desire for temporal good or for fellowship with Christ 
is strongest. 

Principle is always exacting. No man can succeed in the service of 
God unless his whole heart is in the work, and he counts all things 
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. No man who 
makes any reserve can be the disciple of Christ, much less can he be His 
co-laborer. When men appreciate the great salvation, the self-sacrifice 
seen in Christ’s life will be seen in theirs. Wherever He leads the way, 
they will rejoice to follow. 

The calling of Matthew to be one of Christ’s disciples, excited great 
indignation. For a religious teacher to choose a publican as one of his 
immediate attendants was an offense against the religious, social, and 
national customs. By appealing to the prejudices of the people the 
Pharisees hoped to turn the current of popular feeling against Jesus. 

Among the publicans a wide-spread interest was created. Their hearts 
were drawn toward the divine Teacher. In the joy of his new discipleship, 
Matthew longed to bring his former associates to Jesus. Accordingly 
he made a feast at his own house, and called together his relatives and 
- 1 Luke 22 :35. 


274 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



friends. Not only were publicans included, 
but many others who were of doubtful rep¬ 
utation, and were pro¬ 
scribed by their more 
scrupulous neighbors. 

The entertainment 
was given in honor oi 
Jesus, and He did not 
hesitate to accept the 
courtesy. He well 
knew that this would 
give offense to the 
Pharisaic party, and 
would also compro¬ 
mise Him in the eyes 
of the people. But 
no question of policy 
could influence His 
movements. With 
Him external distinc¬ 
tions weighed nothing. 

That which appealed 

to His heart was a soul thirsting for the water of life. 

Jesus sat as an honored guest at the table of the publicans, by His 
sympathy and social kindliness showing that He recognized the dignity 
of humanity; and men longed to become worthy of His confidence. 
Upon their thirsty hearts His words fell with blessed, life-giving power. 
New impulses were awakened, and the possibility of a new life opened 
to these outcasts of society. 

At such gatherings as this, not a few were impressed by the Saviour’s 
teaching, who did not acknowledge Him until after His ascension. When 
the Holy Spirit was poured out, and three thousand were converted in a 
day, there were among them many who first heard the truth at the table 
of the publicans, and some of these became messengers of the gospel. To 
Matthew himself the example of Jesus at the feast was a constant lesson. 
The despised publican became one of the most devoted evangelists, in 
his own ministry following closely in his Master’s steps. 

When the rabbis learned of the presence of Jesus at Matthew’s feast, 
they seized the opportunity of accusing Him. But they chose to work 
through the disciples. By arousing their prejudices they hoped to alienate 


He heard “the Words 
addressed to himself, 
‘Follow Me.’” Page 273. 








LEVI—MATTHEW. 


275 


them from their Master. It was their policy to accuse Christ to the dis¬ 
ciples, and the disciples to Christ, aiming their arrows where they would 
be most likely to wound. This is the way in which Satan has worked 
ever since the disaffection in heaven; and all who try to cause discord 
and alienation are actuated by his spirit. 

“Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” questioned 
the envious rabbis. 

Jesus did not wait for His disciples to answer the charge, but Himself 
replied: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are 
sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and 
not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance.” The Pharisees claimed to be spiritually whole, and therefore 
in no need of a physician, while they regarded the publicans and Gentiles 
as perishing from diseases of the soul. Then was it not His work, as a 
physician, to go to the very class that needed His help? 

But although the Pharisees thought so highly of themselves, they 
were really in a worse condition than the ones they despised. The 
publicans were less bigoted and self-sufficient, and thus were more open 
to the influence of truth. Jesus said to the rabbis, “Go ye and learn 
what that meaneth, I will 
have mercy, and not sacr 


fice.” Thus He showe 
that while they claimed t 
expound the word of Go< 
they were wholly ignorai 
of its spirit. 


but only became more 
determined in their 
enmity. They next 
sought out the disci¬ 
ples of John the Baptist, 
and tried to set them 
against the Saviour. 
These Pharisees had 
not accepted the mis¬ 
sion of the Baptist. 
They had pointed in 
scorn to his abstemious 


silenced for the time, 


The Pharisees were 



With blessed, life-giving power." 


17 






276 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


life, his simple habits, his coarse garments, and had declared him a 
fanatic. Because he denounced their hypocrisy, they had resisted his 
words, and had tried to stir up the people against him. The Spirit of 
God had moved upon the hearts of these scorners, convicting them of 
sin; but they had rejected the counsel of God, and had declared that 
John was possessed of a devil. 

Now when Jesus came mingling with the people, eating and drinking 
at their tables, they accused Him of being a glutton and a winebibber. 
The very ones who made this charge were themselves guilty. As God 
is misrepresented, and clothed by Satan with his own attributes, so the 
Lord’s messengers were falsified by these wicked men. 

The Pharisees would not consider that Jesus was eating with publicans 
and sinners in order to bring the light of heaven to those who sat in 
darkness. They would not see that every word dropped by the divine 
Teacher was a living seed that would germinate and bear fruit to the glory 
of God. They had determined not to accept the light; and although 
they had opposed the mission of the Baptist, they were now ready to 
court the friendship of his disciples, hoping to secure their co-operation 
against Jesus. They represented that Jesus was setting at naught the 
ancient traditions; and they contrasted the austere piety of the Baptist 
with the course of Jesus in feasting with publicans and sinners. 

The disciples of John were at this time in great sorrow. It was 
before their visit to Jesus with John’s message. Their beloved teacher 
was in prison, and they passed their days in mourning. And Jesus was 
making no effort to release John, and even appeared to cast discredit on 
his teaching. If John had been sent by God, why did Jesus and His 
disciples pursue a course so widely different? 

The disciples ■ of John had not a clear understanding of Christ’s 
work; they thought there might be some foundation for the charges 
of the Pharisees. They observed many of the rules prescribed by the 
rabbis, and even hoped to be justified by the works of the law. Fasting 
was practised by the Jews as an act of merit, and the most rigid among 
them fasted two days in every week. The Pharisees and John’s disciples 
were fasting when the latter came to Jesus with the inquiry, “Why do 
we and the Pharisees fast oft, but Thy disciples fast not?” 

Very tenderly Jesus answered them. He did not try to correct 
their erroneous conception of fasting, but only to set them right in 
regard to His own mission. And He did this by employing the same 
figure that the Baptist himself had used in his testimony to Jesus. John 
had said, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of 


LEVI—MATTHEW. 


277 


the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because 
of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled .” 1 The 
disciples of John could not fail to recall these words of their teacher, 
as, taking up the illustration, Jesus said, “Can ye make the children of 
the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?” 

The Prince of heaven was among His people. The greatest gift 
of God had been given to the world. Joy to the poor; for Christ had 
come to make them heirs of His kingdom. Joy to the rich; for He 
would teach them how to secure eternal riches. Joy to the ignorant; 
He would make them wise unto salvation. Joy to the learned; He would 
open to them deeper mysteries than they had ever fathomed; truths that 
had been hidden from the foundation of the world would be opened to 
men by the Saviour’s mission. 

John the Baptist had rejoiced to behold the Saviour. What occasion 
for rejoicing had the disciples who were privileged to walk and talk with 
the Majesty of heaven. This was not a time for them to mourn and 
fast. They must open their hearts to receive the light of His glory, that 
they might shed light upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow 
of death. 

It was a bright picture which the words of Christ had called up, but 
across it lay a heavy shadow, which His eye alone discerned. “The days 
will come,” He said, “when the bridegroom shall be taken away from 
them, and then shall they fast in those days.” When they should see 
their Lord betrayed and crucified, the disciples would mourn and fast. 
In His last words to them in the upper chamber, He said, “A little 
while, and ye shall not see Me; and again, a little while, and ye shall 
see Me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep’and lament, 
but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow' 
shall be turned into joy .” 2 

When He should come forth from the tomb, their sorrow would be 
turned to joy. After His ascension He was to be absent in person; but 
through the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were 
not to spend their time in mourning. This was what Satan wanted. 
He desired them to give the world the impression that they had been 
deceived and disappointed; but by faith they were to look to the sanctuary 
above, where Jesus was ministering for them; they were to open their 
hearts to the Holy Spirit, His representative, and to rejoice in the light 
of His presence. Yet days of temptation and trial would come, when 
they would be brought into conflict with the rulers of this world, and 
1 John 3129. 2 John 16:19, 20. 


278 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


the leaders of the kingdom of darkness; when Christ was not personally 
with them, and they failed to discern the Comforter, then it would be 
more fitting for them to fast. 

The Pharisees sought to exalt themselves by their rigorous observance 
of forms, while their hearts were filled with envy and strife. “Behold,” 
says the Scripture, “ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the 
fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your 
voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen ? a day 
for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and 
to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an 
acceptable day to the Lord?”' 

The true fast is no mere formal service. The Scripture describes the 
fast that God has chosen, — “to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo 
the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break 
every yoke;” to “draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the 
afflicted soul .” 2 Here is set forth the very spirit and character of 
the work of Christ. His whole life was a sacrifice of Himself for the 
saving of the world. Whether fasting in the wilderness of temptation 
or eating with the publicans at Matthew’s feast, He was giving His 
life for the redemption of the lost. Not in idle mourning, in mere bodily 
humiliation and multitudinous sacrifices, is the true spirit of devotion 
manifested, but it is shown in the surrender of self in willing service to 
God and man. 

Continuing His answer to the disciples of John, Jesus spoke a parable, 
saying, “No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if 
otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was 
taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.” The message of John 
the Baptist was not to be interwoven with tradition and superstition. 
An attempt to blend the pretense of the Pharisees with the devotion of 
John would only make more evident the breach between them. 

Nor could the principles of Christ’s teaching be united with the forms 
of Pharisaism. Christ was not to close up the breach that had been 
made by the teachings of John. He would make more distinct the 
separation between the old and the new. Jesus further illustrated this 
fact, saying, “No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new 
wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.” 
The skin bottles which were used as vessels to contain the new wine, 
after a time' became dry and brittle, and were then worthless to serve 
the same purpose again. In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the 
Hsa. 58:4, 5. v 2 Isa. 58:6, 10. 


LEVI—MATTHEW. 


279 

condition of the Jewish leaders. Priests and scribes and rulers were 
fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions. Their hearts had become 
contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which he had compared them. 
While they remained satisfied with a legal religion, it was impossible for 
them to become the depositaries of the living truth of heaven. They 
thought their own righteousness all-sufficient, and did not desire that a 
new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of 
God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves. 
They connected it with their own merit because of their good works. 
The faith that works by love and purifies the soul, could find no place 
for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and 
the injunctions of men. The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus 
with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, 
like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the 
Pharisaical tradition. 

The Pharisees thought themselves too wise to need instruction, too 
righteous to need salvation, too highly honored to need the honor that 
comes from Christ. The Saviour turned away from them to find others 
who would receive the message of heaven. In the untutored fishermen, 
in the publican at the market-place, in the woman of Samaria, in the 
common people who heard Him gladly, He found His new bottles for 
the new wine. The instrumentalities to be used in the gospel work are 
those souls who gladly receive the light which God sends them. These 
are His agencies for imparting the knowledge of truth to the world. If 
through the grace of Christ His people will become new bottles, He 
will fill them with new wine. 

The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, 
was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been 
taught from the beginning. But to the Pharisees the truth of God had 
lost its original significance and beauty. To them Christ’s teaching was 
new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged. 

Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appre¬ 
ciation and desire for truth. “No man,” He said, “having drunk old 
wine, straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.” All the 
truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets 
shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and 
Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of 
the old traditions, customs, and practises, they had no place in mind 
or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, 
and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. 


280 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


It was this that proved the ruin of the Jews, and it will prove the 
ruin of many souls in our own day. Thousands are making the same 
mistake as did the Pharisees whom Christ reproved at Matthew’s feast. 
Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, 
many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. 
They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not 
realize their spiritual poverty. They insist on being saved in some way 
by which they may perform some important work. When they see that 
there is no way of weaving self into the work, they reject the salvation 
provided. 

A legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, 
Christless religion. Fasting or prayer that is actuated by a self-justifying 
spirit, is an abomination in the sight of God. The solemn assembly for 
worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the 
imposing sacrifice, proclaim that the doer of these things regards himself 
as righteous, and as entitled to heaven, but it is all a deception. Our 
own works can never purchase salvation. 

As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not 
know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, “Because 
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of 
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and 
poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in 
the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest 
be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear .” 1 Faith 
and love are • the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has 
become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of 
Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it 
is said, “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first 
love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, 
and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will 
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent .” 2 

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite 
heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise .” 3 Man must be emptied of self 
before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is 
renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles 
can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer 
with new life. In him who looks unto the author and finisher of our 
faith, the character of Christ will be manifest. 

1 Rev. 3 :17, 18. 2 Rev. 2:4,5. 


3 Ps* 51: 17. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE. 

HE Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for 
man, it had its origin when “the morning stars sang together, 
and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Peace brooded 
over the world; for earth was in harmony with heaven. 
“God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it 
was very good ;” 1 and He rested in the joy of His completed work. 

Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, “God blessed the seventh 
day, and sanctified it,” — set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to 
Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, 
and thus a sign of God’s power and His love. The Scripture says, 
“He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.” “The things 
that are made,” declare “the invisible things of Him since the creation of 
the world,” “even His everlasting power and divinity .” 2 

All things were created by the Son of God. “In the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God. . . . All things were 

made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made .” 3 
And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token 
of the love and power of Christ. 

The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into com¬ 
munion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of 
the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who 
Hob 38:7; Gen. 1 :31. 2 Gen. 2:3; Ps. hi :4; Rom. 1: 20, R. V. 3 John 1:1-3. 

(281) 









282 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 





talked with Adam in Eden in the 
cool of the day. And as we be¬ 
hold His power in nature we find 
comfort, for the word that created 
all things is that which speaks life 
to the soul. He “who com¬ 
manded the light to shine out of 
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, 
to give the light of the knowledge 
of the glory of God in the face of 
Jesus Christ .” 1 

It was this thought that awoke 


the song,— 


“Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work; 
I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. 

O Lord, how great are Thy works! 

And Thy thoughts are very deep.” 2 

And the Holy Spirit through the prophet 
Isaiah declares; “To whom then will ye liken 
God? or what likeness will ye compare unto 
Him? . . . Have ye not known? have ye 

not heard? hath it not been told you from the 
beginning? have ye not understood from the 
foundations of the earth? It is He that sitteth 
upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grass¬ 
hoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them 
out as a tent to dwell in. . . . To whom then will ye liken Me, or 

shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and 
behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by 
number; He calleth them all by names, by the greatness of His might, 
for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O 
Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my 
judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast 
thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the 
ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? . . . He giveth 

power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth 
strength.” “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for 



“Lift up your eyes on 
high, and behold Who hath 
created these things.” 


1 2 Cor. 4 : 6. 


2 Ps. 92 : 4, 5. 






THE SABBATH. 


283 


I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will 
uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “Look unto Me, 
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there 
is none else.” This is the message written in nature, which the Sabbath 
is appointed to keep in memory. When the Lord bade Israel hallow 
His Sabbaths, He said, “They shall be a sign between Me and you, that 
ye may know that I am Jehovah your God .” 1 

The Sabbath was embodied in the law given from Sinai; but it was 
not then first made known as a day of rest. The people of Israel had a 
knowledge of it before they came to Sinai. On the way thither the 
Sabbath was kept. When some profaned it, the Lord reproved them, 
saying, “How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws ?” 2 

The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It 
had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts 
of the decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which 
the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, “Till heaven and 
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.” 
So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue 
as a sign of the Creator’s power. And when Eden shall bloom on 
earth again, God’s holy rest-day will be honored by all beneath the 
sun. “From one Sabbath to another” the inhabitants of the glorified 
new earth shall go up “to worship before Me, saith the Lord .” 3 

No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so 
fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. 
God designed that its observance should designate them as his worshipers. 
It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection 
with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must 
themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of 
the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, 
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” the Lord said also to 
them, “Ye shall be holy men unto Me .” 4 Only thus could the Sabbath 
distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God. 

As the Jews departed from God, and failed to make the righteousness 
of Christ their own by faith, the Sabbath lost its significance to them. 
Satan was seeking to exalt himself and to draw men away from Christ, 
and he worked to pervert the Sabbath, because it is the sign of the 
power of Christ. The Jewish leaders accomplished the will of Satan 
by surrounding God’s rest-day with burdensome requirements. In the 

1 Isa. 40 : 1S-29; 41:10; 45: 22; Eze. 20: 20. 2 Ex. 16: 28. 3 Matt. 5 :18; Isa. 66:23. 

* Ex. 20: 8; 22: 31. 


284 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


days of Christ the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance 
reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men, rather than the 
character of the loving Heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented 
God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They 
led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the 
observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted 

and cruel. It was the work 
of Christ to clear away these 
misconceptions. Although 
the rabbis followed Him with 
merciless hostility, He did 
not even appear to conform 
to their requirements, but 
went straight forward, keep¬ 
ing the Sabbath according to 
the law of God. 

Upon one Sabbath day, 
as the Saviour and His dis¬ 
ciples returned from the place 
of worship, they passed 
through a field of ripening 
grain. Jesus had continued 
His work to a late hour, and 
while passing through the 
fields, the disciples began to 

Returning from the place of worship, they passed 

through a field of ripening grain.” gather the heads OI grain, 

and to eat the kernels after 
rubbing them in their hands. On any other day this act would have 
excited no comment, for one passing through a field of grain, an orchard, 
or a vineyard, was at liberty to gather what he desired to eat . 1 But 
to do this on the Sabbath was held to be an act of desecration. Not 
only was the gathering of the grain a kind of reaping, but the rubbing 
of it in the hands was a kind of threshing. Thus, in the opinion of 
the rabbis, there was a double offense. 

The spies at once complained to Jesus, saying, “Behold, thy disciples 
do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.” 

When accused of Sabbath-breaking at Bethesda, Jesus defended Him¬ 
self by affirming His Sonship to God, and declaring that He worked in 
harmony with the Father. Now that the disciples are attacked, He cites 

•See Deut. 23: 24, 25. 





THE SABBATH. 285 

His accusers to examples from the Old Testament, acts performed on 
the Sabbath by those who were in the service of God. 

The Jewish teachers prided themselves on their knowledge of the 
Scriptures, and in the Saviour’s answer there was an implied rebuke for 
their ignorance of the sacred writings. “ Have ye not read so much 
as this,” He said, “ what David did, when himself was an hungered, 
and they which were with him; how he went into the house of God, and 
did take and eat the showbread, . . . which it is not lawful to eat 
but for the priests alone?” “And He said unto them, The Sabbath 
was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” “Have ye not read 
in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple 
profane the Sabbath, and are blameless ? But I say unto you, That 
in this place is one greater than the temple.” “The Son of man is Lord 
also of the Sabbath .” 1 

If it was right for David to satisfy his hunger by eating of the 
bread that had been set apart to a holy use, then it was right for 
the disciples to supply their need by plucking the grain upon the sacred 
hours of the Sabbath. Again, the priests in the temple performed greater 
labor on the Sabbath than upon other days. The same labor in secular 
business would be sinful; but the work of the priests was in the service 
of God. They were performing those rites that pointed to the redeeming 
power of Christ, and their labor was in harmony with the object of the 
Sabbath. But now Christ Himself had come. The disciples, in doing 
the work of Christ, were engaged in God’s service, and that which was 
necessary for the accomplishment of this work, it was right to do on 
the Sabbath day. 

Christ would teach His disciples and His enemies, that the service 
of God is first of all. The object of God’s work in this world is the 
redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on 
the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work, is in accord with the 
Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself 
the “Lord of the Sabbath,”—One above all question and above all 
law. This infinite Judge acquits the disciples of blame, appealing to the 
very statutes they are accused of violating. 

Jesus did not let the matter pass with administering a rebuke to His 
enemies. He declared that in their blindness they had mistaken the 
object of the Sabbath. He said, “If ye had known -what this meaneth, 
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the 
guiltless .” 2 Their many heartless rites could not supply the lack of 
1 Luke 6: 3, 4 ; Mark 2:27, 28; Matt. 12 • 5, 6. 2 Matt. 12:7. 


286 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


that truthful integrity and tender love which will ever characterize the 
true worshiper of God. 

Again Christ reiterated the truth that the sacrifices were in them¬ 
selves of no value. They were a means, and not an end. Their object 
was to direct men to the Saviour, and thus to bring them into harmony 
with God. It is the service of love that God values. When this is 
lacking, the mere round of ceremony is an offense to Him. So with 
the Sabbath. It was designed to bring men into communion with 
God; but when the mind was absorbed with wearisome rites, the object 
of the Sabbath was thwarted. Its mere outward observance was a 
mockery. 

Upon another Sabbath, as Jesus entered a synagogue, He saw there 
a man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees watched Him, eager 
to see what He would do. The Saviour well knew that in healing 
on the Sabbath He would be regarded as a transgressor, but He did 
not hesitate to break down the wall of traditional requirements that 
barricaded the Sabbath. Jesus bade the afflicted man stand forth, and 
then asked, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do 
evil? to save life, or to kill?” It was a maxim among the Jews that 
a failure to do good, when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to 

neglect to save life, was to kill. Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their 

own ground. “But they held their peace. And when He had looked 
round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of 
their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he 
stretched it out; and his hand was restored whole as the other .” 1 

When questioned, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?” 
Jesus answered, “What man shall there be among you , that shall have 

one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay 

hold on it, and lift it out ? How much then is a man better than a 
sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days .” 2 

The spies dared not answer Christ in the presence of the multitude, 
for fear of involving themselves in difficulty. They knew that He had 
spoken the truth. Rather than violate their traditions, they would leave 
a man to suffer, while they would relieve a brute because of the loss to 
the owner if it were neglected. Thus greater care was shown for a 
dumb animal than for man, who is made in the image of God. This 
illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in man’s 
desire to exalt himself above God, but they result in degrading man 
below the brute. Every religion that wars against the sovereignty of 
1 Mark 3:4, 5. 2 Matt. 12:10-12. 


THE SABBATH. 


287 


God defrauds man of the glory which was his at the creation, and which 
is to be restored to him in Christ. Every false religion teaches its 
adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The 
gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the blood 
of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man. 
The Lord says, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even 
a man than the golden wedge of Ophir .” 1 

When Jesus turned upon the Pharisees with the question whether it 
was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life 
or to kill, He confronted them with their own wicked purposes. They 
were hunting His life with bitter hatred, while He was saving life, and 
bringing happiness to multitudes. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath, 
as they were planning to do, than to heal the afflicted, as He had done? 
Was it more righteous to have murder in the heart upon God’s holy 
day, than love to all men, which finds expression in deeds of mercy? 

In the healing of the withered hand, Jesus condemned the custom 
of the Jews, and left the fourth commandment standing as God had 
given it. “It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days,” He declared. 
By sweeping away the senseless restrictions of the Jews, Christ honored 
the Sabbath, while those who complained of Him were dishonoring God’s 
holy day. 

Those who hold that Christ abolished the law, teach that He broke 
the Sabbath, and justified His disciples in doing the same. Thus they 
are really taking the same ground as did the caviling Jews. In this 
they contradict the testimony of Christ Himself, who declared, “I have 
kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love .” 2 Neither the 
Saviour nor His followers broke the law of the Sabbath. Christ was a 
living representative of the law. No violation of its holy precepts was 
found in His life. Looking upon a nation of witnesses who were seeking 
occasion to condemn Him, He could say unchallenged, “Which of you 
convicteth Me of sin ?” 3 

The Saviour had not come to set aside what patriarchs and prophets 
had spoken; for He Himself had spoken through these representative 
men. All the truths of God’s word came from Him. But these priceless 
gems had been placed in false settings. Their precious light had been 
made to minister to error. God desired them to be removed from their 
settings of error and replaced in the framework of truth. This work 
only a divine hand could accomplish. By its connection with error, the 
truth had been serving the cause of the enemy of God and man. Christ 

3 John 8:46, R. V. 


1 Isa. 13 :12. 


2 John 15:10. 


288 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


had come to place it where it would glorify God, and work the salvation 
of humanity. 

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” 

Jesus said. The institutions that God has established are for the benefit 

of mankind. “All things are for your sakes.” “Whether Paul, or 
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, 
or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is 
God’s .” 1 The law of ten commandments, of which the Sabbath forms 
a part, God gave to His people as a blessing. “The Lord commanded 
us,” said Moses, “to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, 
for our good always, that He might preserve us alive .” 2 And through 
the psalmist the message was given to Israel, “Serve the Lord with 
gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the 
Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 

we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates 

with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise .” 3 And of all who 
“keep the Sabbath from polluting it,” the Lord declares, “Even them 
will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house 
of prayer .” 4 

“Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” These 
words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was 
made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ. For “all 
things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made 
that was made .” 5 Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. 
By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It 
points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that 
He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all 
things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power 
we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, “I gave 
them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might 
know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,” 5 —make them holy. Then 
the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is 
given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying 
power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part 
of the Israel of God. 

And the Lord says, “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, 
from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, 
the holy of the Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself 

l 2 Cor. 4:15; 1 Cor. 3:22, 23. 2 Deut. 6:24. 8 Ps. 100:2-4. 4 Isa. 56:6, 7. 

5 John 1:3. 6 Eze. 20:12. 


THE SABBATH. 


28g 


in the Lord .” 1 To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s 
creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in 
it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the 
works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. 
While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored 
through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, 
“ Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest .” 2 

'Isa. 58:13, 14. 2 Matt. 11:28. 







D He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom 
He would; and they came unto Him. And He ordained 
twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might 
send them forth to preach.” 

It was beneath the sheltering trees of the mountain-side, 
but a little distance from the Sea of Galilee, that the twelve were 
called to the apostolate, and the sermon on the mount was given. 
The fields and hills were the favorite resorts of Jesus, and much of 
His teaching was given under the open sky, rather than in the temple 
or the synagogues. No synagogue could have received the throngs 
that followed Him; but not for this reason only did He choose to teach 
in the fields and groves. Jesus loved the scenes of nature. To Him 
each quiet retreat was a sacred temple. 

It was under the trees of Eden that the first dwellers on earth had 
chosen their sanctuary. There Christ had communed with the father 
of mankind. When banished from Paradise, our first parents still wor¬ 
shiped in the fields and groves, and there Christ met them with the 
gospel of His grace. It was Christ who spoke with Abraham under the 
oaks at Mamre; with Isaac as he went out to pray in the fields at 
the eventide; with Jacob on the hillside at Bethel; with Moses among 
the mountains of Midian; and with the boy David as he watched his 
flocks. It was at Christ’s direction that for fifteen centuries the Hebrew 
people had left their homes for one week every year, and had dwelt in 
This chapter is based on Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16. 

(290) 









1IE ORDAINED TWELVE. 


29I 


booths formed from the green branches “of goodly trees, branches of 
palm-trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook .” 1 

In training His disciples, Jesus chose to withdraw from the confusion 
of the city to the quiet of the fields and hills, as more in harmony with 
the lessons of self-abnegation He desired to teach them. And during 
His ministry He loved to gather the people about Him under the blue 
heavens, on some grassy hillside, or on the beach beside the lake. 
Here, surrounded by the works of His own creation, He could turn the 
thoughts of His hearers from the artificial to the natural. In the growth 
and development of nature were revealed the principles of His kingdom. 
As men should lift up their eyes to the hills of God, and behold the 
wonderful works of His hands, they could learn precious lessons of 
divine truth. Christ’s teaching would be repeated to them in the things 
of nature. So it is with all who go into the fields with Christ in their 
hearts. They will feel themselves surrounded with a holy influence. 
The things of nature take up the parables of our Lord, and repeat His 
counsels. By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and 
the heart finds rest. 

The first step was now to be taken in the organization of the church 
that after Christ’s departure was to be His representative on earth. No 
costly sanctuary was at their command, but the Saviour led His disciples 
to the retreat He loved, and in their minds the sacred experiences of that 
day were forever linked with the beauty of mountain and vale and sea. 

Jesus had called His disciples that He might send them forth as 
His witnesses, to declare to the world what they had seen and heard 
of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings 
had ever been called, and was second only to that of Christ Himself. 
They were to be workers together with God for the saving of the world. 
As in the Old Testament the twelve patriarchs stand as representatives 
of Israel, so the twelve apostles were to stand as representatives of the 
gospel church. 

The Saviour knew the character of the men whom He had chosen; 
all their weaknesses and errors were open before Him; He knew the 
perils through which they must pass, the responsibility that would rest 
upon them; and His heart yearned over these chosen ones. Alone upon 
a mountain near the Sea of Galilee He spent the entire night in prayer 
for them, while they were sleeping at the foot of the mountain. With 
the first light of dawn He summoned them to meet Him; for He had 
something of importance to communicate to them. 

H^ev. 23:40. 


292 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



These disciples had been for some time associated with Jesus in active 
labor. John and James, Andrew and Peter, with Philip, Nathanael, and 
Matthew, had been more closely connected with Him than the others, 
and had witnessed more of His miracles. Peter, James, and John stood in 
still nearer relationship to Him. They were almost constantly with Him, 
witnessing His miracles, and hearing His words. John pressed into still 
closer intimacy with Jesus, so that he is distinguished as the one whom 

Jesus loved. The Saviour loved them 
all, but John’s was the most receptive 
spirit. He was younger than the others, 
and with more of the child’s confiding 
trust he opened his heart to Jesus. 
Thus he came more into sympathy 
with Christ, and through him the 
Saviour’s deepest spiritual teaching 
was communicated to His people. 

At the head of one of the 
groups into which the apostles 
are divided, stands the name of 
Philip. He was the first disciple 
to whom Jesus addressed the dis¬ 
tinct command, “Follow Me.” 
Philip was of Bethsaida, the city 
of Andrew and Peter. He had 
listened to the teaching of John 
the Baptist, and had heard his an¬ 
nouncement of Christ as the Lamb 
of God. Philip was a sincere 

tain near the Sea of seeker for truth - but he was slow 
Galilee He spent the G f heart to believe. Although he 

for His disciples.” had J oined himself to Christ, yet 
Page 291. his announcement of Him to Na¬ 

thanael shows that he was not fully 
convinced of the divinity of Jesus. Though Christ had been proclaimed 
by the voice from heaven as the Son of God, to Philip He was “Jesus of 
Nazareth, the son of Joseph .” 1 Again, when the five thousand were 
fed, Philip's lack of faith was shown. It was to test him that Jesus 
questioned, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Philip’s 
answer was on the side of unbelief: “Two hundred pennyworth of bread 


1 John 1:45. 


HE ORDAINED TWELVE. 


293 



is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little .” 1 
Jesus was grieved. Although Philip had seen His works and felt His 
power, yet he had not faith. When the Greeks inquired of Philip 
concerning Jesus, he did not seize upon the opportunity of introducing 
them to the Saviour as an honor and joy, but he went to tell Andrew. 
Again, in those last precious hours before the crucifixion, the words of 
Philip were such as to discourage faith: “Lord, we know not whither 
Thou goest; and 
how can we know 
the way?” Jesus 
answered, “I am 
the Way, the 
Truth, and the 
Life. ... If 
ye had known 
Me, ye should 
have known My 
Father also.” 

Again the re¬ 
sponse of unbe¬ 
lief: “ Lord, show f00t of the mountain „ Page 291< 

us the Father, 

and it sufficeth us .” 2 So slow of heart, so weak in faith, was that 
disciple who for three years had been with Jesus. 

In happy contrast to Philip’s unbelief was the childlike trust of 
Nathanael. He was a man of intensely earnest nature, one whose faith 
took hold upon unseen realities. Yet Philip was a student in the school 
of Christ, and the divine Teacher bore patiently with his unbelief and 
dullness. When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, 
Philip became a teacher after the divine order. He knew whereof he 
spoke, and he taught with an assurance that carried conviction to 
the hearers. 

While Jesus was preparing the disciples for their ordination, one 
who had not been summoned, urged his presence among them. It was 
Judas Iscariot, a man who professed to be a follower of Christ. He 
now came forward, soliciting a place in this inner circle of disciples. 
With great earnestness and apparent sincerity he declared, “Master, 

I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.” Jesus neither repulsed 
nor welcomed him, but uttered only the mournful words: “The foxes 


1 John 6:5, 7. 


2 John 14:5-8. 



294 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man 
hath not where to lay His head .” 1 Judas believed Jesus to be the 
Messiah; and by joining the apostles, he hoped to secure a high position 
in the new kingdom. This hope Jesus designed to cut off by the 
statement of His poverty. 

The disciples were anxious that Judas should become one of their 
number. He was of commanding appearance, a man of keen discernment 
and executive ability, and they commended him to Jesus as one who 
would greatly assist Him in His work. They were surprised that Jesus 
received him so coolly. 

The disciples had been much disappointed that Jesus had not tried 
to secure the co-operation of the leaders in Israel. They felt that it 
was a mistake not to strengthen His cause by securing the support 
of these influential men. If He had repulsed Judas, they would, in 
their own minds, have questioned the wisdom of their Master. The 
after-history of Judas would show them the danger of allowing any 
worldly consideration to have weight in deciding the fitness of men 
for the work of God. The co-operation of such men as the disciples 
were anxious to secure, would have betrayed the work into the hands 
of its worst enemies. 

Yet when Judas joined the disciples, he was not insensible to the 
beauty of the character of Christ. He felt the influence of that divine 
power which was drawing souls to the Saviour. He who came not 
to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax, would not 
repulse this soul while even one desire was reaching toward the light. 
The Saviour read the heart of Judas; He knew the depths of iniquity 
to which, unless delivered by the grace of God, Judas would sink. In 
connecting this man with Himself, He placed him where he might, day 
by day, be brought in contact with the outflowing of His own unselfish 
love. If he would open his heart to Christ, divine grace would banish 
the demon of selfishness, and even Judas might become a subject of the 
kingdom of God. 

God takes men as they are, w r ith the human elements in their char¬ 
acter, and trains them for His service, if they will be disciplined and learn 
of Him. They are not chosen because they are perfect, but notwith¬ 
standing their imperfections, that through the knowledge and practise of 
the truth, through the grace of Christ, they may become transformed 
into His image. 

Judas had the same opportunities as had the other disciples. He 

‘Matt. 8:19, 20. 


HE ORDAINED TWELVE. 


295 


listened to the same precious lessons. But the practise of the truth, 
which Christ required, was at variance with the desires and purposes of 
Judas, and he would not yield his ideas in order to receive wisdom 
from Heaven. 

How tenderly the Saviour dealt with him who was to be His betrayer. 
In His teaching, Jesus dwelt upon principles of benevolence that struck 
at the very root of covetousness. He presented before Judas the 
heinous character of greed, and many a time the disciple realized that 
his character had been portrayed, and his sin pointed out; but he would 
not confess and forsake his unrighteousness. He was self-sufficient, and 
instead of resisting temptation, he continued to follow his fraudulent 
practises. Christ was before him, a living example of what he must 
become if he reaped the benefit of the divine mediation and ministry; 
but lesson after lesson fell unheeded on the ears of Judas. 

Jesus dealt him no sharp rebuke for his covetousness, but with divine 
patience bore with this erring man, even while giving him evidence that 
He read his heart as an open book. He presented before him the 
highest incentives for right-doing; and in rejecting the light of Heaven, 
Judas would be without excuse. 

Instead of walking in the light, Judas chose to retain his defects. 
Evil desires, revengeful passions, dark and sullen thoughts, were cherished, 
until Satan had full control of the man. Judas became a representative 
of the enemy of Christ. 

When he came into association with Jesus, he had some precious 
traits of character, that might have been made a blessing to the church. 
If he had been willing to wear the yoke of Christ, he might have been 
among the chief of the apostles; but he hardened his heart when his 
defects were pointed out, and in pride and rebellion chose his own 
selfish ambitions, and thus unfitted himself for the work that God would 
have given him to do. 

All the disciples had serious faults when Jesus called them to His 
service. Even John, who came into closest association with the meek 
and lowly One, was not himself naturally meek and yielding. He and 
his brother were called “the sons of thunder.” While they were with 
Jesus, any slight shown to Him aroused their indignation and combat¬ 
iveness. Evil temper, revenge, the spirit of criticism, were all in the 
beloved disciple. He was proud, and ambitious to be first in the kingdom 
of God. But day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he 
beheld the tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons 
of humility and patience. He opened his heart to the divine influence, 


296 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


and became not only a hearer but a doer of the Saviour’s words. Self 
was hid in Christ. He learned to wear the yoke of Christ and to 
bear His burden. 

Jesus reproved His disciples, He warned and cautioned them; but 
John and his brethren did not leave Him; they chose Jesus, notwith¬ 
standing the reproofs. The Saviour did not withdraw from them because 
of their weakness and errors. They continued to the end to share His 
trials and to learn the lessons of His life. By beholding Christ, they 
became transformed in character. 

The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the 
publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising 
hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the 
mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, true-hearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, 
slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons 
of Zebedee, with their brethren. These were brought together, with 
their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; 
but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, 
learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have 
their tests, their grievances, their differences of opinion; but while Christ 
was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension. His love would 
lead to love for one another; the lessons of the Master would lead to 
the harmonizing of all differences, bringing the disciples into unity, till 
they would be of one mind and one judgment. Christ is the great 
center, and they would approach one another just in proportion as they 
approached the center. 

When Jesus had ended Plis instruction to the disciples, He gathered 
the little band close about Him, and kneeling in the midst of them, 
and laying His hands upon their heads, He offered a prayer dedicating 
them to His sacred work. Thus the Lord’s disciples were ordained 
to the gospel ministry. 

As His representatives among men, Christ does not choose angels 
who have never fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with 
those they seek to save. Christ took upon Himself humanity, that He 
might reach humanity. Divinity needed humanity; for it required both 
the divine and the human to bring salvation to the world. Divinity 
needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication 
between God and man. So with the servants and messengers of Christ. 
Man needs a power outside of and beyond himself, to restore him to the 
likeness of God, and enable him to do the work of God; but this does 
not make the human agency unessential. Humanity lays hold upon divine 


HE ORDAINED TWELVE. 


297 


power, Christ dwells in the heart by faith; and through co-operation with 
the divine, the power of man becomes efficient for good. 

He who called the fishermen of Galilee is still calling men to His 
service. And He is just as willing to manifest His power through 
us as through the first disciples. However imperfect and sinful we 
may be, the Lord holds out to us the offer of partnership with Himself, 
of apprenticeship to Christ. He invites us to come under the divine 
instruction, that, uniting with Christ, we may work the works of God. 

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness 
of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves .” 1 This is why the 
preaching of the gospel was committed to erring men rather than to 
the angels. It is manifest that the power which works through the 
weakness of humanity, is the power of God; and thus we are encouraged 
to believe that the power which can help others as weak as ourselves, 
can help us. And those who are themselves “compassed with infirmity,” 
should be able to “have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that 
are out of the way .” 2 Having been in peril themselves, they are 
acquainted with the dangers and difficulties of the way, and for this 
reason are called to reach out for others in like peril. There are souls 
perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak in faith, and unable 
to grasp the Unseen; but a friend whom they can see, coming to them in 
Christ’s stead, can be a connecting link to fasten their trembling faith 
upon Christ. 

We are to be laborers together with the heavenly angels in presenting 
Jesus to the world. With almost impatient eagerness the angels wait 
for our co-operation; for man must be the channel to communicate 
with man. And when we give ourselves to Christ in whole-hearted 
devotion, angels rejoice that they may speak through our voices to 
reveal God’s love. 

»2 Cor. 4:7, R. 2 Heb. 5:2. 




CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE. 

HRIST seldom gathered His disciples alone to receive His 
words. He did not choose for His audience those only 
who knew the way of life. It was His work to reach the 
multitudes who were in ignorance and error. He gave 

His lessons of truth where they could reach the darkened 
understanding. He Himself was the Truth, standing with girded loins 
and hands ever outstretched to bless, and in words of warning, 
entreaty, and encouragement, seeking to uplift all who would come 
unto Him. 

The sermon on the mount, though given especially to the disciples, 
was spoken in the hearing of the multitude. After the ordination of 
the apostles, Jesus went with them to the seaside. Here in the early 
morning the people had begun to assemble. Besides the usual crowds 
from the Galilean towns, there were people from Judea, and even from 
Jerusalem itself; from Perea, from Decapolis, from Idumea, away to 
the south of Judea; and from Tyre and Sidon, the Phenician cities 
on the shore of the Mediterranean. “When they had heard what great 
things He did,” they “came to hear Him and to be healed of their 
diseases: . . . there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all .” 1 

The narrow beach did not afford even standing-room within reach of 
His voice for all who desired to hear Him, and Jesus led the way back 
to the mountain-side. Reaching a level space that offered a pleasant 
gathering-place for the vast assembly, He seated Himself on the grass, 
and the disciples and the multitude followed His example. 

This chapter is based on Matthew 5; 6; 7. 1 Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17-19. 

( 2q8 ) 









THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


299 


The disciples’ place was always next to Jesus. The people constantly 
pressed upon Him, yet the disciples understood that they were not to 
be crowded away from His presence. They sat close beside Him, that 
they might not lose a word of His instruction. They were attentive 
listeners, eager to understand the truths they were to make known to 
all lands and all ages. 

With a feeling that something more than usual might be expected, 
they now pressed about their Master. They believed that the kingdom 
was soon to be established, and from the events of the morning they 
gathered assurance that some announcement concerning it was about to 
be made. A feeling of expectancy pervaded the multitude also, and 
eager faces gave evidence of the deep interest. As the people sat 
upon the green hillside, awaiting the words of the divine Teacher, their 
hearts were filled with thoughts of future glory. There were scribes 
and Pharisees who looked forward to the day when they should have 
dominion over the hated Romans, and possess the riches and splendor 
of the world's great empire. The poor peasants and fishermen hoped to 
hear the assurance that their wretched hovels, the scanty food, the life 
of toil, and fear of want, were to be exchanged for mansions of plenty 
and days of ease. In place of the one coarse garment which was their 
covering by day, and their blanket at night, they hoped that Christ 
would give them the rich and costly robes of their conquerors. All 
hearts thrilled with the proud hope that Israel was soon to be honored 
before the nations as the chosen of the Lord, and Jerusalem exalted as 
the head of a universal kingdom. 

Christ disappointed the hope of worldly greatness. In the sermon 
on the mount, He sought to undo the work that had been wrought 
by false education, and to give His hearers a right conception of His 
kingdom and of His own character. Yet He did not make a direct 
attack on the errors of the people. He saw the misery of the world on 
account of sin, yet He did not present before them a vivid delineation 
of their wretchedness. He taught them of something infinitely better 
than they had known. Without combating their ideas of the kingdom 
of God, He told them the conditions of entrance therein, leaving them 
to draw their own conclusions as to its nature. The truths He taught 
are no less important to us than to the multitude that followed Him. 
We no less than they need to learn the foundation principles of the 
kingdom of God. 

Christ’s first words to the people on the mount were words of 
blessing. Happy are they, He said, who recognize their spiritual poverty, 


300 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


and feel their need of redemption. The gospel is to be preached to the 
poor. Not to the spiritually proud, those who claim to be rich and in 
need of nothing, is it revealed, but to those who are humble and 
conti'ite. One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the 
poor in spirit. 

The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to 
heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. 
The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of 
his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to 
the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting 
to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He 
has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fulness dwells. “For thus 
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is 
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a 
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to 
revive the heart of the contrite ones .” 1 

“Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” By 
these words, Christ does not teach that mourning in itself has power 
to remove the guilt of sin. He gives no sanction to pretense or to 
voluntary humility. The mourning of which He speaks, does not consist 
in melancholy and lamentation. While we sorrow on account of sin, 
we are to rejoice in the precious privilege of being children of God. 

We often sorrow because our evil deeds bring unpleasant conse¬ 
quences to ourselves ; but this is not repentance. Real sorrow for sin 
is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reveals the 
ingratitude of the heart that has slighted and grieved the Saviour, and 
brings us in contrition to the foot of the cross. By every sin, Jesus is 
wounded afresh; and as we look upon Him whom we have pierced, 
we mourn for the sins that have brought anguish upon Him. Such 
mourning will lead to the renunciation of sin. 

The worldling may pronounce this sorrow a weakness; but it is the 
strength which binds the penitent to the Infinite One with links that 
cannot be broken. It shows that the angels of God are bringing back 
to the soul the graces that were lost through hardness of heart and 
transgression. The tears of the penitent are only the rain-drops that 
precede the sunshine of holiness. This sorrow heralds a joy which will 
be a living fountain in the soul. “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that 
thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God;” “and I will not 
cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, saith the Lord .” 2 

1 Isa. 57:15. 2 Jer. 3:13, 12. 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


3 QI 


“Unto them that mourn in Zion,” He has appointed to give “beauty for 
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit 
of heaviness .” 1 

And for those also who mourn in trial and sorrow, there is comfort. 
The bitterness of grief and humiliation is better than the indulgences of 
sin. Through affliction God reveals to us the plague-spots in our char¬ 
acters, that by His grace we may overcome our faults. Unknown 
chapters in regard to ourselves are opened to us, and the test comes, 
whether we will accept the reproof and the counsel of God. When 
brought into trial, we are not to fret and complain. We should not 
rebel, or worry ourselves out of the hand of Christ. We are to humble 
the soul before God. The ways of the Lord are obscure to him who 
desires to see things in a light pleasing to himself. They appear dark 
and joyless to our human nature. But God’s ways are ways of mercy, 
and the end is salvation. Elijah knew not what he was doing when in the 
desert he said that he had had enough of life, and prayed that he might 
die. The Lord in His mercy did not take him at his word. There was 
yet a great work for Elijah to do; and when his work was done, he 
was not to perish in discouragement and solitude in the wilderness. 
Not for him the descent into the dust of death, but the ascent in glory, 
with the convoy of celestial chariots, to the throne on high. 

God’s word for the sorrowing is, “I have seen his ways, and will 
heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to 
his mourners.” “I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort 
them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow .” 2 

“Blessed are the meek.” The difficulties we have to encounter may 
be very much lessened by that meekness which hides itself in Christ. If 
we possess the humility of our Master, we shall rise above the slights, 
the rebuffs, the annoyances to which we are daily exposed, and they will 
cease to cast a gloom over the spirit. The highest evidence of nobility 
in a Christian is self-control. He who under abuse or cruelty fails to 
maintain a calm and trustful spirit, robs God of His right to reveal in him 
His own perfection of character. Lowliness of heart is the strength that 
gives victory to the followers of Christ; it is the token of their connec¬ 
tion with the courts above. 

“Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly .” 3 
Those who reveal the meek and lowly spirit of Christ are tenderly 
regarded by God. They may be looked upon with scorn by the world, 
but they are of great value in His sight. Not only the wise, the great, 

2 Isa. 57 :18; Jer. 31:13. 3 Ps. 138:6. 


1 Isa. 61: 3. 


302 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


the beneficent, will gain a passport to the heavenly courts; not only the 
busy worker, full of zeal and restless activity. No; the poor in spirit, 
who crave the presence of an abiding Christ, the humble in heart, whose 
highest ambition is to do God’s will, — these will gain an abundant 
entrance. They will be among that number who have washed their 
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore are 
they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His 
temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them .” 1 

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” 
The sense of unworthiness will lead the heart to hunger and thirst for 
righteousness, and this desire will not be disappointed. Those who 
make room in their hearts for Jesus will realize His love. All who long 
to bear the likeness of the character of God shall be satisfied. The 
Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. 
He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye 
is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is 
conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the 
soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge 
of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fulness. “Blessed 
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall 
be filled.” 

The merciful shall find mercy, and the pure in heart shall see God. 
Every impure thought defiles the soul, impairs the moral sense, and tends 
to obliterate the impressions of the Holy Spirit. It dims the spiritual 
vision, so that men cannot behold God. The Lord may and does 
forgive the repenting sinner; but though forgiven, the soul is marred. 
All impurity of speech or of thought must be shunned by him who 
would have clear discernment of spiritual truth. 

But the words of Christ cover more than freedom from sensual 
impurity, more than freedom from that ceremonial defilement which the 
Jews so rigorously shunned. Selfishness prevents us from beholding 
God. The self-seeking spirit judges of God as altogether such a one 
as itself. Until we have renounced this, we cannot understand Him 
who is love. Only the unselfish heart, the humble and trustful spirit, 
shall see God as “merciful and gracious, longsufifering and abundant in 
goodness and truth .” 2 

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” The peace of Christ is born of 
truth. It is harmony with God. The world is at enmity with the law 
of God; sinners are at enmity with their Maker; and as a result they 
1 Rev. 7:15. 2 Ex. 34:6. 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. " The people sat on the green hillside, awaiting 

the words of the Divine Teacher." Page 299. 




























THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


305 


are at enmity with one another. But the psalmist declares, “Great 
peace have they which love Thy law; and nothing shall offend them .” 1 
Men cannot manufacture peace. Human plans for the purification and 
uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of producing peace, because 
they do not reach the heart. The only power that can create or perpet¬ 
uate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted in the 
heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension. 
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier 
shall come up the myrtle tree;” and life’s desert “shall rejoice, and 
blossom as the rose .” 2 

The multitudes were amazed at this teaching, which was so at variance 
with the precepts and example of the Pharisees. The people had come 
to think that happiness consisted in the possession of the things of this 
world, and that fame and the honor of men were much to be coveted. 
It was very pleasing to be called “Rabbi,” and to be extolled as wise 
and religious, having their virtues paraded before the public. This was 
regarded as the crown of happiness. But in the presence of that vast 
throng, Jesus declared that earthly gain and honor were all the reward 
such persons would ever receive. He spoke with certainty, and a 
convincing power attended His words. The people w r ere silenced, and 
a feeling of fear crept over them. They looked at one another doubt¬ 
fully. Who of them would be saved if this man’s teachings were true? 
Many were convicted that this remarkable teacher was actuated by the 
Spirit of God, and that the sentiments He uttered were divine. 

After explaining what constitutes true happiness, and how it may be 
obtained, Jesus more definitely pointed out the duty of His disciples, 
as teachers chosen of God to lead others into the path of righteousness 
and eternal life. He knew that they would often suffer from disappoint¬ 
ment and discouragement, that they would meet with decided opposition, 
that they would be insulted, and their testimony rejected. Well He 
knew that in the fulfilment of their mission, the humble men who listened 
so attentively to His words were to bear calumny, torture, imprisonment, 
and death, and He continued: — 

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile 
you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you 
falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your 
reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were 
before you.” 

1 Ps. 119:165. 2 Isa. 55 :13; 35:1. 


3°6 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The world loves sin, and hates righteousness, and this was the cause 
of its hostility to Jesus. All who refuse His infinite love, will find 
Christianity a disturbing element. The light of Christ sweeps away the 
darkness that covers their sins, and the need of reform is made manifest. 
While those who yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit begin war 
with themselves, those who cling to sin war against the truth and its 
representatives. 

Thus strife is created, and Christ’s followers are accused as troublers 
of the people. But it is fellowship with God that brings them the world’s 
enmity. They are bearing the reproach of Christ. They are treading 
the path that has been trodden by the noblest of the earth. Not with 
sorrow, but with rejoicing, should they meet persecution. Each fiery trial 
is God’s agent for their refining. Each is fitting them for their work as 
co-laborers with Him. Each conflict has its place in the great battle 
for righteousness, and each will add to the joy of their final triumph. 
Having this in view, the test of their faith and patience will be cheer¬ 
fully accepted rather than dreaded and avoided. Anxious to fulfil their 
obligation to the world, fixing their desire upon the approval of God, 
His servants are to fulfil every duty, irrespective of the fear or the 
favor of men. 

“Ye are the salt of the earth,” Jesus said. Do not withdraw your¬ 
selves from the world in order to escape persecution. You are to abide 
among men, that the savor of the divine love may be as salt to preserve 
the world from corruption. 

Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the 
channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who serve 
God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, 
this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s 
dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings 
of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people whom they 
despise and oppress. But if Christians are such in name only, they are 
like the salt that has lost its savor. They have no influence for good in 
the world. Through their misrepresentation of God they are worse than 
unbelievers. 

“Ye are the light of the world.” The Jews thought to confine the 
benefits of salvation to their own nation; but Christ showed them that 
salvation is like the sunshine. It belongs to the whole world. The 
religion of the Bible is not to be confined between the covers of a book, 
nor within the walls of a church. It is not to be brought out occasionally 
for our own benefit, and then to be carefully laid aside again. It is to 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


307 


sanctify the daily life, to manifest itself in every business transaction and 
in all our social relations. 

True character is not shaped from without, and put on; it radiates 
from within. If we wish to direct others in the path of righteousness, 
the principles of righteousness must be enshrined in our own hearts. 
Our profession of faith may proclaim the theory of . religion, but it is our 
practical piety that holds forth the word of truth. The consistent life, 
the holy conversation, the unswerving integrity, the active, benevolent 
spirit, the godly example, — these are the mediums through which light 
is conveyed to the world. 

Jesus had not dwelt on the specifications of the law, but He did 
not leave His hearers to conclude that He had come to set aside its 
requirements. He knew that spies stood ready to seize upon every word 
that might be wrested to serve their purpose. He knew the prejudice that 
existed in the minds of many of His hearers, and He said nothing to 
unsettle their faith in the religion and institutions that had been committed 
to them through Moses. Christ Himself had given both the moral and 
the ceremonial law. He did not come to destroy confidence in His 
own instruction. It was because of His great reverence for the law 
and the prophets, that He sought to break through the wall of traditional 
requirements which hemmed in the Jews. While He set aside their 
false interpretations of the law, He carefully guarded His disciples against 
yielding up the vital truths committed to the Hebrews. 

The Pharisees prided themselves on their obedience to the law; yet 
they knew so little of its principles through eveiy-day practise that to 
them the Saviour’s words sounded like heresy. As He swept away the 
rubbish under which the truth had been buried, they thought He was 
sweeping away the truth itself. They whispered to one another that He 
was making light of the law. He read their thoughts, and answered 
them, saying, — 

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; 
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Here Jesus refutes the charge 
of the Pharisees. His mission to the world is to vindicate the sacred 
claims of that law which they charge Him with breaking. If the law 
of God could have been changed or abrogated, then Christ need not 
have suffered the consequences of our transgression. He came to explain 
the relation of the law to man, and to illustrate its precepts by His own 
life of obedience. 

God has given us His holy precepts, because He loves mankind. 
To shield us from the results of transgression, He reveals the principles 


3°8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


of righteousness. The law is an expression of the thought of God; 
when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the 
power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to 
sin. God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the 
law that in obeying them we might have joy. When at Jesus’ birth 
the angels sang, — 

“Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace, good will toward men,” 1 



9£} * 9 # fJOUNT^iNM 

‘The law v/as proclaimed from Sinai. 


they were declaring the principles of the law which He had come to 

magnify and make honorable. 

When the law was proclaimed 
from Sinai, God made known to men 
the holiness of His 
character, that by 
contrast they might 
see the sinfulness of 
their own. The law 
was given to convict 
them of sin, and re¬ 
veal their need of a 
Saviour. It would 
do this as its princi¬ 
ples were applied to 
the heart by the Holy 
Spirit. This work it is still to do. In the life of Christ the principles of 
the law are made plain; and as the Holy Spirit of God touches the 
heart; as the light of Christ reveals to men their need of His cleansing 
blood and His justifying righteousness, the law is still an agent in 
bringing us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. “The law of the 
Lord is perfect, converting the soul .” 2 

“Till heaven and earth pass,” said Jesus, “one jot or one tittle shall 
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The sun shining in 
the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God’s witnesses 
that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass 
away, the divine precepts shall endure. “It is easier for heaven and 
earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”® The system of types 
that pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God was to be abolished at His 
death; but the precepts of the decalogue are as immutable as the throne 
of God. 


1 Luke 2:14. 


2 Ps. 19:7. 


3 Luke 16:17. 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


309 


Since “the law of the Lord is perfect,” every variation from it must be 
evil. Those who disobey the commandments of God, and teach others 
to do so, are condemned by Christ. The Saviour’s life of obedience 
maintained the claims of the law; it proved that the law could be kept 
in humanity, and showed the excellence of character that obedience 
would develop. All who obey as He did, are likewise declaring that 
the law is “holy, and just, and good .” 1 On the other hand, all who 
break God’s commandments are sustaining Satan’s claim that the law 
is unjust, and cannot be obeyed. Thus they second the deceptions of 
the great adversary, and cast dishonor upon God. They are the children 
of the wicked one, who was the first rebel against God’s law. To admit 
them into heaven would again bring in the elements of discord and 
rebellion, and imperil the well-being of the universe. No man who 
wilfully disregards one principle of the law shall enter the kingdom of 
heaven. 

The rabbis counted their righteousness a passport to heaven; but 
Jesus declared it to be insufficient and unworthy. External ceremonies 
and a theoretical knowledge of truth constituted Pharisaical righteousness. 
The rabbis claimed to be holy through their own efforts in keeping the 
law; but their works had divorced righteousness from religion. While 
they were punctilious in ritual observances, their lives were immoral and 
debased. Their so-called righteousness could never enter the kingdom 
of heaven. 

The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was, that 
a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human 
experience a theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be 
insufficient for the saving of the soul. It does not bring forth the fruits 
of righteousness. A jealous regard for what is termed theological truth, 
often accompanies a hatred of genuine truth as made manifest in life. 
The darkest chapters of history are burdened with the record of crimes 
committed by bigoted religionists. The Pharisees claimed to be children 
of Abraham, and boasted of their possession of the oracles of God; 
yet these advantages did not preserve them from selfishness, malignity, 
greed for gain, and the basest hypocrisy. They thought themselves the 
greatest religionists of the world, but their so-called orthodoxy led them 
to crucify the Lord of glory. 

The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that they are 
Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. 
But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not 

1 Rom. 7 : 12. 


19 


3 1 ° 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and 
grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess 
faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, 
forbearing, heavenly minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through 
their influence it is a curse to the world. 

The righteousness which Christ taught is conformity of heart and 
life to the revealed will of God. Sinful men can become righteous 
only as they have faith in God, and maintain a vital connection with 
Him. Then true godliness will elevate the thoughts and ennoble the 
life. Then the external forms of religion accord with the Christian’s 
internal purity. Then the ceremonies required in the service of God 
are not meaningless rites, like those of the hypocritical Pharisees. 

Jesus takes up the commandments separately, and explains the depth 
and breadth of their requirement. Instead of removing one jot of their 
force, He shows how far-reaching their principles are, and exposes the 
fatal mistake of the Jews in their outward show of obedience. He 
declares that by the evil thought or the lustful look the law of God 
is transgressed. One who becomes a party to the least injustice is 
breaking the law, and degrading his own moral nature. Murder first 
exists in the mind. He who gives hatred a place in his heart is setting 
his feet in the path of the murderer, and his offerings are abhorrent 
to God. 

The Jews cultivated a spirit of retaliation. In their hatred of the 
Romans they gave utterance to hard denunciations, and pleased the wicked 
one by manifesting his attributes. Thus they were training themselves to 
do the terrible deeds to which he led them on. In the religious life of the 
Pharisees there was nothing to recommend piety to the Gentiles. Jesus 
bade them not to deceive themselves with the thought that they could 
in heart rise up against their oppressors, and cherish the longing to 
avenge their wrongs. 

It is true there is an indignation that is justifiable, even in the followers 
of Christ. When they see that God is dishonored, and His service brought 
into disrepute; when they see the innocent oppressed, a righteous indig¬ 
nation stirs the soul. Such anger, born of sensitive morals, is not a sin. 
But those who at any supposed provocation feel at liberty to indulge 
anger or resentment, are opening the heart to Satan. Bitterness and 
animosity must be banished from the soul if we would be in harmony 
with heaven. 

The Saviour goes farther than this. He says, “If thou bring thy gift 
to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 3 1 I 

thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be 
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Many are 
zealous in religious services, while between them and their brethren 
are unhappy differences which they might reconcile. God requires them 
to do all in their power to restore harmony. Until they do this, He 
cannot accept their services. The Christian’s duty in this matter is 
clearly pointed out. 

God pours His blessings upon all. “He maketh His. sun to rise 
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on 
the unjust.” He is “kind unto the unthankful and to the evil .” 1 
He bids us to be like Him. “Bless them that curse you,” said Jesus; 
“do good to them that hate you, . . . that ye may be the children 

of your Father which is in heaven.” These are the principles of the 
law, and they are the well-springs of life. 

God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought 
can reach. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in 
heaven is perfect.” This command is a promise. The plan of redemption 
contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ 
always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the 
works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit 
shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. 

The tempter’s agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one 
wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers 
of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these 
excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy 
temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child 
of God. 

The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of 
man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their 
life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became 
flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was 
sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; 
yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His 
character is to be ours. The Lord says of those who believe in Him, 
“I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and 
they shall be My people .” 2 

Christ is the ladder that Jacob saw, the base resting on the earth, 
and the topmost round reaching to the gate of heaven, to the very 
threshold of glory. If that ladder had failed by a single step of reaching 
1 Luke 6:35. 2 2 Cor. 6:16. 


3 12 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


the earth, we should have been lost. But Christ reaches us where we 
are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His 
nature might overcome. Made “in the likeness of sinful flesh ,” 1 He 
lived a sinless life. Now by His divinity He lays hold upon the throne 
of heaven, while by His humanity He reaches us. He bids us by faith 
in Him attain to the glory of the character of God. Therefore are we to 
be perfect, even as our “Father which is in heaven is perfect.” 

Jesus had shown in what righteousness consists, and had pointed to 
God as its source. Now He turned to practical duties. In almsgiving, 
in prayer, in fasting, He said, let nothing be done to attract attention or 
win praise to self. Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor. 
In prayer, let the soul commune with God. In fasting, go not with the 
head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self. The heart of 
the Pharisee is a barren and profitless soil, in which no seeds of divine 
life can flourish. It is he who yields himself most unreservedly to God 
that will render Him the most acceptable service. For through fellowship 
with God men become workers together with Him in presenting His 
character in humanity. 

The service rendered in sincerity of heart has great recompense. 
“Thy Father, which seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly.” 
By the life we live through the grace of Christ, the character is formed. 
The original loveliness begins to be restored to the soul. The attributes 
of the character of Christ are imparted, and the image of the Divine 
begins to shine forth. The faces of men and women who walk and work 
with God, express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the 
atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun. 
They have Christ’s joy, the joy of being a blessing to humanity. They 
have the honor of being accepted for the Master’s use; they are trusted 
to do His work in His name. 

“No man can serve two masters.” We cannot serve God with a 
divided heart. Bible religion is not one influence among many others; 
its influence is to be supreme, pervading and controlling every other. It 
is not to be like a dash of color brushed here and there upon the canvas, 
but it is to pervade the whole life, as if the canvas were dipped into the 
color, until every thread of the fabric were dyed a deep, unfading hue. 

“If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of 
light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” 
Purity and steadfastness of purpose are the conditions of receiving light 
from God. He who desires to know the truth, must be willing to accept 

1 Rom. 8: 3. 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 


3*3 


all that it reveals. He can make no compromise with error. To be 
wavering and half-hearted in allegiance to truth, is to choose the darkness 
of error and Satanic delusion. 

Worldly policy and the undeviating principles of righteousness, do 
not blend into each other imperceptibly, like the colors of the rainbow. 
Between the two a broad, clear line is drawn by the eternal God. The 
likeness of Christ stands out as distinct from that of Satan as midday in 
contrast with midnight. And only those who live the life of Christ, are 
His co-workers. If one sin is cherished in the soul, or one wrong 
practise retained in the life, the whole being is contaminated. The man 
becomes an instrument of unrighteousness. 

All who have chosen God’s service are to rest in His care. Christ 
pointed to the birds flying in the heavens, to the flowers of the field, and 
bade His hearers consider these objects of God’s creation. “Are ye not 
of much more value than they ?” 1 He said. The measure of divine 
attention bestowed on any object is proportionate to its rank in the scale 
of being. The little brown sparrow is watched over by Providence. 
The flowers of the field, the grass that carpets the earth, share the 
notice and care of our Heavenly Father. The great Master-Artist 
has taken thought for the lilies, making them so beautiful that they 
outshine the glory of Solomon. How much more does He care for 
man, who is the image and glory of God. He longs to see His children 
reveal a character after His similitude. As the sunbeam imparts to the 
flowers their varied and delicate tints, so does God impart to the soul 
the beauty of His own character. 

All who choose Christ’s kingdom of love and righteousness and 
peace, making its interest paramount to all other, are linked to the world 
above, and every blessing needed for this life is theirs. In the book 
of God’s providence, the volume of life, we are each given a page. 
That page contains every particular of our history; even the hairs of the 
head are numbered. God’s children are never absent from His mind. 

“Be not therefore anxious for the morrow .” 1 We are to follow 
Christ day by day. God does not bestow help for to-morrow. He 
does not give His children all the directions for their life journey at once, 
lest they should become confused. He tells them just as much as they 
can remember and perform. The strength and wisdom imparted are for 
the present emergency. “If any of you lack wisdom,”—for to-day,— 
“let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; 
and it shall be given him .” 2 


1 R. V. 


2 James i: 5. 


3H 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Do not think yourself better 
than other men, and set yourself up as their judge. Since you cannot 
discern motive, you are incapable of judging another. In criticizing him, 
you are passing sentence upon yourself; for you show that you are a 
participant with Satan, the accuser of the brethren. The Lord says, 
“Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 
This is our work. “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be 
judged .” 1 

The good tree will produce good fruit. If the fruit is unpalatable 
and worthless, the tree is evil. So the fruit borne in the life testifies as 
to the condition of the heart and the excellence of the character. Good 
works can never purchase salvation, but they are an evidence of the 
faith that acts by love and purifies the soul. And though the eternal 
reward is not bestowed because of our merit, yet it will be in proportion 
to the work that has been done through the grace of Christ. 

Thus Christ set forth the principles of His kingdom, and showed 
them to be the great rule of life. To impress the lesson He adds 
an illustration. It is not enough, He says, for you to hear My words. 
By obedience you must make them the foundation of your character. 
Self is but shifting sand. If you build upon human theories and inven¬ 
tions, your house will fall. By the winds of temptation, the tempests of 
trial, it will be swept away. But these principles that I have given will 
endure. Receive Me; build on My words. 

“Every one therefore which heareth these words of Mine, and doeth 
them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon the 
rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, 
and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon 
the rock.”’ 

l 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Cor. 11:31. 2 R. V. 




CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO. 


R.IST had said to the nobleman whose son He healed, 
“Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe .” 1 
He was grieved that His own nation should require these 
outward signs of His Messiahship. Again and again He had 
marveled at their unbelief. But He marveled at the faith 
of the centurion who came to Him. The centurion did not question 
the Saviour’s power. He did not even ask Him to come in person to 
perform the miracle. “Speak the word only,” he said, “and my servant 
shall be healed.” 

The centurion’s servant had been stricken with palsy, and lay at the 
point of death. Among the Romans the servants were slaves, bought 
and sold in the market-places, and treated with abuse and cruelty; but 
the centurion was tenderly attached to his servant, and greatly desired 
his recovery. He believed that Jesus could heal him. He had not 
seen the Saviour, but the reports he heard had inspired him with faith. 
Notwithstanding the formalism of the Jews, this Roman was convinced 
that their religion was superior to his own. Already he had broken 
through the barriers of national prejudice and hatred that separated the 
conquerors from the conquered people. He had manifested respect for 
the service of God, and had shown kindness to the Jews as His worshipers. 
In the teaching of Christ, as it had been reported to him, he found 
that which met the need of the soul. All that was spiritual within him 
responded to the Saviour’s words. But he felt unworthy to come into 
the presence of Jesus, and he appealed to the Jewish elders to make 
request for the healing of his servant. They were acquainted with the 
This chapter is based on Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7 : 1-17. 1 John 4 : 48. 

(3i5) 
















3 16 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 



great Teacher, and would, he thought, know how to approach Him so 
as to win His favor. 

As Jesus entered Capernaum, He was met by a delegation of the 
elders, who told Him of the centurion’s desire. They urged “that 
he was worthy for whom He should do this; for he loveth our nation, 
and he hath built us a synagogue.” 

Jesus immediately set out for the officer’s home; but, pressed by 

the multitude, He advanced slowly. The news of His coming preceded 

Him, and the centurion, 

in his self-distrust, sent 

Him the message, “Lord, 

trouble not Thyself; for I 

am not worthy that Thou 

shouldst enter under my 

roof.” But the Saviour 

kept on His way, and the 

centurion, venturing at 

last to approach Him, 

completed the message, 

saying, “Neither thought 

I myself worthy to come 

unto Thee;” “but speak 

Speak the word only, the word only, and my 
and my servant shall J 

be healed.” servant shall be healed. 

For I am a man under 
authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he 
goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, 
Do this, and he doeth it.” As I represent the power of Rome, and 
my soldiers recognize my authority as supreme, so dost Thou repre¬ 
sent the power of the infinite God, and all created things obey Thy 
word. Thou canst command the disease to depart, and it shall obey 
Thee. Thou canst summon Thy heavenly messengers, and they shall 
impart healing virtue. Speak but the word, and my servant shall 
be healed. 

“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned 
Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto 
you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” And to the 
centurion He said, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. 
And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” 

The Jewish elders who recommended the centurion to Christ, had 


THE CENTURION. 


317 

shown how far they were from possessing the spirit of the gospel. 
They did not recognize that our great need is our only claim on God’s 
mercy. In their self-righteousness they commended the centurion because 
of the favor he had shown to “our nation.’’ But the centurion said of 
himself, “I am not worthy.” His heart had been touched by the grace 
of Christ. He saw his own unworthiness; yet he feared not to ask 
help. He trusted not to his own goodness; his argument was his great 
need. His faith took hold upon Christ in His true character. He 
did not believe in Him merely as a worker of miracles, but as the 
friend and Saviour of mankind. 

It is thus that every sinner may come to Christ. “Not by works 
of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He 
saved us .” 1 When Satan tells you that you are a sinner, and cannot 
hope to receive blessing from God, tell him that Christ came into the 
world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; 
but the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless 
condition, that makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing 
all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say,— 

“In my hand no price I bring; 

Simply to Thy cross I cling.’’ 

The Jews had been instructed from childhood concerning the work 
of the Messiah. The inspired utterances of patriarchs and prophets, 
and the symbolic teaching of the sacrificial service, had been theirs. 
But they had disregarded the light; and now. they saw in Jesus nothing 
to be desired. But the centurion, born in heathenism, educated in the 
idolatry of imperial Rome, trained as a soldier, seemingly cut off from 
spiritual life by his education and surroundings, and still further shut out 
by the bigotry of the Jews, and by the contempt of his own countrymen 
for the people of Israel, — this man perceived the truth to which the 
children of Abraham were blinded. He did not wait to see whether 
the Jews themselves would receive the One who claimed to be their 
Messiah. As the “light which lighteth every man that cometh into 
the world ” 2 had shone upon him, he had, though afar off, discerned the 
glory of the Son of God. 

To Jesus this was an earnest of the work which the gospel was to 
accomplish among the Gentiles. With joy He looked forward to the 
gathering of souls from all nations to His kingdom. With deep sadness 
He pictured to the Jews the result of their rejection of His grace: “I 
1 Titus 3:5. 2 John 1:9. 


3i8 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall 
sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; 
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Alas, how many are 
still preparing for the same fatal disappointment! While souls in heathen 
darkness accept His grace, how many there are in Christian lands upon 
whom the light shines only to be disregarded. 

More than twenty miles from Capernaum, on a tableland overlooking 
the wide, beautiful plain of Esdraelon, lay the village of Nain, and thither 
Jesus next bent His steps. Many of His disciples and others were with 
Him, and all along the way the people came, longing for His words of 
love and pity, bringing their sick for His healing, and ever with the 
hope that He. who wielded such wondrous power would make Himself 
known as the King of Israel. A multitude thronged His steps, and it 
was a glad, expectant company that followed Him up the rocky path 
toward the gate of the mountain village. 

As they draw near, a funeral train is seen coming from the gates. 
With slow, sad steps it is proceeding to the place of burial. On an 
open bier carried in front is the body of the dead, and about it are the 
mourners, filling the air with their wailing cries. All the people of 
the town seem to have gathered to show their respect for the dead 
and their sympathy with the bereaved. 

It was a sight to awaken sympathy. The deceased was the only 
son of his mother, and she a widow. The lonely mourner was following 
to the grave her sole earthly support and comfort. “When the Lord 
saw her, He had compassion on her.” As she moved on blindly, 
weeping, noting not His presence, He came close beside her, and gently 
said, “Weep not.” Jesus was about to change her grief to joy, yet 
He could not forbear this expression of tender sympathy. 

“He came and touched the bier;” to Him even contact with death 
could impart no defilement. The bearers stood still, and the lamentations 
of the mourners ceased. The two companies gathered about the bier, 
hoping against hope. One was present who had banished disease and 
vanquished demons; was death also subject to His power? 

In clear, authoritative voice the words are spoken, “Young man, I 
say unto thee, Arise.” That voice pierces the ears of the dead. The 
young man opens his eyes. Jesus takes him by the hand, and lifts 
him up. His gaze falls upon her who has been weeping beside him, 
and mother and son unite in a long, clinging, joyous embrace. The 
multitude look on in silence, as if spellbound. “There came a fear on 


THE CENTURION. 


319 


all.” Hushed and reverent they stood for a little time, as if in the 
very presence of God. Then they “glorified God, saying, That a great 
prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited His people.” 
The funeral train returned to Nain as a triumphal procession. “And 
this rumor of Him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout 
all the region round about.” 



"As they dravy near, a funeral train is seen coming from the gates.” 


He who stood beside the sorrowing mother at the gate of Nain, 
watches with every mourning one beside the bier. He is touched with 
sympathy for our grief. His heart, that loved and pitied, is a heart of 
unchangeable tenderness. His word, that called the dead to life, is no 
less efficacious now than when spoken to the young man of Nain. He 
says, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth .” 1 That 


1 Matt. 28:18. 














320 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


power is not diminished by the lapse of years, nor exhausted by the 
ceaseless activity of His overflowing grace. To all who believe on Him 
He is still a living Saviour. 

Jesus changed the mother’s grief to joy when He gave back her 
son; yet the youth was but called forth to this earthly life, to endure its 
sorrows, its toils, and its perils, and to pass again under the power of 
death. But Jesus comforts our sorrow for the dead with a message 
of infinite hope: “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I 
am alive forevermore, . . . and have the keys of hell and of death.” 
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He 
also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He 
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and 
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject 
to bondage .” 1 

Satan cannot hold the dead in his grasp when the Son of God bids 
them live. He cannot hold in spiritual death one gbul who in faith 
receives Christ’s word of power. God is saying to all who are dead in 
sin, “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead .” 2 That word 
is eternal life. As the wofd of God which bade the first man live, still 
gives us life; as Christ’s word, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise,” 
gave life to the youth of Nain, so that word, “Arise from the dead,” 
is life to the soul that receives it. God “hath delivered us from the 
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His 
dear Son .” 3 It is all offered us in His word. If we receive the word, 
we have the deliverance. 

And “if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell 
in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your 
mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” “For the Lord 
Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 
archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall 
rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together 
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we 
ever be with the Lord .” 4 This is the word of comfort wherewith He 
bids us comfort one another. 

1 Rev. 1:18; Heb. 2:14, 15. 2 Eph. 5:14. 

4 Rom. 8:11; 1 Thess. 4 :16, 17. 


3 Col. 1:13. 



CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE. 

E sons of Joseph were far from being in sympathy with Jesus 
in His work. The reports that reached them in regard to 
His life and labors filled them with astonishment and dismay. 
They heard that He devoted entire nights to prayer, that 
through the day He was thronged by great companies of 
people, and did not give Himself time so much as to eat. His friends 
felt that He was wearing Himself out by His incessant labor; they were 
unable to account for His attitude toward the Pharisees, and there were 
some who feared that His reason was becoming unsettled. 

His brothers heard of this, and also of the charge brought by the 
Pharisees that He cast out devils through the power of Satan. They 
felt keenly the reproach that came upon them through their relation to 
Jesus. They knew what a tumult His words and works created, and 
were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His 
denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. They decided that He must 
be persuaded or constrained to cease this manner of labor, and they 
induced Mary to unite with them, thinking that through His love for 
her they might prevail upon Him to be more prudent. 

It was just before this that Jesus had a second time performed the 
miracle of healing a man possessed, blind and dumb, and the Pharisees 
had reiterated the charge, “He casteth out devils through the prince of 
the devils .” 1 Christ told them plainly that in attributing the work of the 
Holy Spirit to Satan, they were cutting themselves off from the fountain 
of blessing. Those who had spoken against Jesus Himself, not discerning 
His divine character, might receive forgiveness; for through the Holy 
This chapter is based on Matt. 12 : 22-50; Mark 3: 20-35. ’Matt. 9: 34. 

(321) 














322 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Spirit they might be brought to see their error and repent. Whatever 
the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the 
blood of Christ; but he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is 
placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by 
the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men wilfully reject the 
Spirit, and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by 
which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally 
rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul. 

The Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke this warning did not themselves 
believe the charge they brought against Him. There was not one of 
those dignitaries but had felt drawn toward the Saviour. They had 
heard the Spirit’s voice in their own hearts declaring Him to be the 
Anointed of Israel, and urging them to confess themselves His disciples. 
In the light of His presence they had realized their unholiness, and had 
longed for a righteousness which they could not create. But after their 
rejection of Him it would be too humiliating to receive Him as the 
Messiah. Having set their feet in the path of unbelief, they were too 
proud to confess their error. And in order to avoid acknowledging 
the truth, they tried with desperate violence to dispute the Saviour’s 
teaching. The evidence of His power and mercy exasperated them. 
They could not prevent the Saviour from working miracles, they could 
not silence His teaching; but they did everything in their power to 
misrepresent Him and to falsify His words. Still the convicting Spirit 
of God followed them, and they had to build up many barriers in order 
to withstand its power. The mightiest agency that can be brought to bear 
upon the human heart was striving with them, but they would not yield. 

It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. 
He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe 
paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded 
and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imper¬ 
ceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His 
servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of 
light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual percep¬ 
tions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the 
darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. Thus it had been with 
these Jewish leaders. They were convinced that a divine power attended 
Christ, but in order to resist the truth, they attributed the work of the 
Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this they deliberately chose deception; 
they yielded themselves to Satan, and henceforth they were controlled 
by his power. 


WHO ARE MY BRETHREN? 


323 


Closely connected with Christ’s warning in regard to the sin against 
the Holy Spirit is a warning against idle and evil words. The words are 
an indication of that which is in the heart. “Out of the abundance of 
the heart the mouth speaketh.” But the words are more than an 
indication of character; they have power to react on the character. Men 
are influenced by their own words. Often under a momentary impulse, 
prompted by Satan, they give utterance to jealousy or evil surmising, 
expressing that which they do not really believe; but the expression 
reacts on the thoughts. They are deceived by their words, and come 
to believe that true which was spoken at Satan’s instigation. Having 
once expressed an opinion or decision, they are often too proud to 
retract it, and try to prove themselves in the right, until they come 
to believe that they are. It is dangerous to utter a word of doubt, 
dangerous to question and criticize divine light. The habit of careless 
and irreverent criticism reacts upon the character, in fostering irreverence 
and unbelief. Many a man indulging this habit has gone on unconscious 
of danger, until he was ready to criticize and reject the work of the 
Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they 
shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words 
thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” 

Then He added a warning to those who had been impressed by 
His words, who had heard Him gladly, but who had not surrendered 
themselves for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is not only by 
resistance but by neglect that the soul is destroyed. “When the unclean 
spirit is gone out of a man,” said Jesus, “he walketh through dry 
places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into 
my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth 
it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself 
seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and 
dwell there.” 

There were many in Christ’s day, as there are to-day, over whom 
the control of Satan for the time seemed broken; through the grace of 
God they were set free from the evil spirits that had held dominion over 
the soul. They rejoiced in the love of God; but, like the stony-ground 
hearers of the parable, they did not abide in His love. The^ did not 
surrender themselves to God daily, that Christ might dwell in the heart; 
and when the evil spirit returned, “with seven other spirits more wicked 
than himself,” they were wholly dominated by the power of evil. 

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes posses¬ 
sion of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never 


3M 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural 
element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ, becomes 
His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends 
that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept 
in possession by the heavenly agencies, is impregnable to the assaults of 
Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we 
shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under 
the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are 
contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us 
deliberately to choose the sendee of the kingdom of darkness in order 
to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves 
with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly 
agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his 
abiding-place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ 
in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become 
vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects 
of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off 
many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but 
without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves 
to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal 
acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the 
mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. 

“The last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so,” said 
Jesus, “shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” There are none 
so hardened as those who have slighted the invitation of mercy, and done 
despite to the Spirit of grace. The most common manifestation of the 
sin against the Holy Spirit, is in persistently slighting Heaven’s invitation 
to repent. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the 
rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit. 

In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable 
sin; and by refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same 
error. We offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before 
the synagogue of Satan, and before the heavenly universe, when we refuse 
to listen to His delegated messengers, and instead listen to the agents of 
Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ. So long as one does 
this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all desire to 
be reconciled to God. 

While Jesus was still teaching the people. His disciples brought the 
message that His mother and His brothers were without, and desired to 
see Him. He knew what was in their hearts, and “He answered and 


WHO ARE MY BRETHREN ? 


325 



"His mother and 
His brothers Were 
without, and desired 
to see Him.” 


and doer of His 
words, His mother 
was more nearly 
and savingly re¬ 
lated to Him than 
through her natu¬ 
ral relationship. 

His brothers would 
receive no benefit 
from their connec¬ 
tion with Him unless they accepted Him as their personal Saviour. 

What a support Christ would have found in His earthly relatives if 
they had believed in Him as one from heaven, and had co-operated with 
Him in doing the work of God! Their unbelief cast a shadow over the 


'Behold My mother and My 
brethren.” 


said unto him that told Him, Who is My mother? and who are My 
brethren? And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and 

said, Behold My mother and My 
brethren! For whosoever shall 
do the will of My Father which 
is in heaven, the same is My 
brother, and sister, and mother.” 

All who would receive Christ 
by faith, were united to Him by 
a tie closer than that of human 
kinship. They would become 
one with Him, as He was one 
with the Father. As a believer 


20 









326 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


earthly life of Jesus. It was a part of the bitterness of that cup of woe 
which He drained for us. 

The enmity kindled in the human heart against the gospel was keenly 
felt by the Son of God, and it was most painful to Him in His home; 
for His own heart was full of kindness and love, and He appreciated 
tender regard in the family relation. His brothers desired that He should 
concede to their ideas, when such a course would have been utterly out of 
harmony with His divine mission. They looked upon Him as in need 
of their counsel. They judged Him from their human point of view, and 
thought that if He would speak only such things as would be acceptable 
to the scribes and Pharisees, He would avoid the disagreeable controversy 
that His words aroused. They thought that He was beside Himself in 
claiming divine authority, and in placing Himself before the rabbis as a 
reprover of their sins. They knew that the Pharisees were seeking 
occasion to accuse Him, and they felt that He had given them sufficient 
occasion. 

With their short measuring line they could not fathom the mission 
which He came to fulfil, and therefore could not sympathize with Him in 
His trials. Their coarse, unappreciative words showed that they had no 
true- perception of His character, and did not discern that the divine 
blended with the human. They often saw Him full of grief; but instead 
of comforting Him, their spirit and words only wounded His heart. His 
sensitive nature was tortured, His motives were misunderstood, His work 
was uncomprehended. 

His brothers often brought forward the philosophy of the Pharisees, 
which was threadbare and hoary with age, and presumed to think that 
they could teach Him who understood all truth, and comprehended all 
mysteries. They freely condemned that which they could not understand. 
Their reproaches probed Him to the quick, and His soul was wearied 
and distressed. They avowed faith in God, and thought they were 
vindicating God, when God was with them in the flesh, and they knew 
Him not. 

These things made His path a thorny one to travel. So pained 
was Christ by the misapprehension in His own home, that it was a 
relief to Him to go where it did not exist. There was one home that 
He loved to visit,— the home of Lazarus, and Mary, and Martha; for 
in the atmosphere of faith and love His spirit had rest. Yet there 
were none on earth who could comprehend His divine mission, or know 
the burden which He bore in behalf of humanity. Often He could find 
relief only in being alone, and communing with His Heavenly Father. 


WHO ARE MY BRETHREN? 


327 


Those who are called to suffer for Christ’s sake, who have to endure 
misapprehension and distrust, even in their own home, may find comfort 
in the thought that Jesus has endured the same. He is moved with 
compassion for them. He bids them find companionship in Him, and 
relief where He found it, in communion with the Father. 

Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as 
orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members 
of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. 
They are His “little ones,” dear to the heart of God, bound to Him 
by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding 
tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward 
us in our helplessness, as the divine is above the human. 

Of Christ’s relation to His people, there is a beautiful illustration in 
the laws given to Israel. When through poverty a Hebrew had been 
forced to part with his patrimony, and to sell himself as a bondservant, 
the duty of redeeming him and his inheritance fell to the one who was 
nearest of kin . 1 So the work of redeeming us and our inheritance, lost 
through sin, fell upon Him who is “near of kin” unto us. It was to 
redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, 
brother, friend, or lover, is the Lord our Saviour. “Fear not,” He 
says, “for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name; 
thou art Mine.” “Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast 
been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for 
thee, and people for thy life .” 2 

Christ loves the heavenly beings that surround His throne; but what 
shall account for the great love wherewith He has loved us? We 
cannot understand it, but we can know it true in our own experience. 
And if we do hold the relation of kinship to Him, with what tenderness 
should we regard those who are brethren and sisters of our Lord. Should 
we not be quick to recognize the claims of our divine relationship? 
Adopted into the family of God, should we not honor our Father and 
our kindred ? 

1 See Lev. 25: 25, 47-49; Ruth 2 : 20. 2 Isa. 43:1, 4. 






e-i=P7 


Ej^^pilE Mb Mt al tc tint labor aad are hm) tader 

7 pVg [ "win gtre TTCVU TtSL ' 

L, These woods of comfrct: were sprier re tire -m Vr-r.-V 

Himself coaid me; acosrre a bevie^e of God. He had 
spoken of His disciples as the ernes to whom a knowledge of hesvprrV 
rf . rg s had been gsMcm. Bm He led: rue to fee tkereseiaes sect cmb£ 


H:cl His care and lore. AII Trio labor and are hesrr mm r 

ertme ante 1 Him. 


Serines and rabbis, -with the— panedbows amerhot: to -Hi- i-re i ms 
had a sense of "ware that riles of penance coadd merer sa-s rf Ptrhidcans 
and sirmers mighc pretend tto be content Trad: the sensed oartfidv. bat 
dr their hearts "were dismisr and fear. Jew looked moc the dbsresstd 
and heart-burdened, those whose hopes were bfdgiBedL r— ■- who with 
earthly y~ys were seek rag ro cue: the ~ -nrmg of the so ah jt-.- He 
r . red all to imd rest in Him. 


Tenderer He bade the trifling people, -Take My yoke ap«tii voca 
and learn ®f Me; for 3 am meek and lowly as bear:; and we shah nh.-F 
rest ante your soak.' 

In these ■words. Christ is speaking to erery dirat V—■ - Whether 
they know it or not. all are weary and heary laA- AH are warned 
down with burdens that only Cams: ca- remtnre. The heawttes: border, 
that we bear is the bar den of sin. If we were led: to vo -h?c burden. it 
w T onld crash as. Bat the Shness One has tr.kf— oar -wa-^ ‘-The Lord 


=af 


This chmwer is baser nr Via— re 
























THE INVITATION. 


329 


hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all .” 1 He has borne the burden 
of our guilt. He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He 
will give us rest. The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear. 
He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon 
His heart. 

The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks 
upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. 
He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are 
our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations; for He was 
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He is watching 
over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted ? He will deliver. 
Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will 
enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord “telleth the 
number of the stars;” and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and 
bindeth up their wounds.”* “Come unto Me,” is His invitation. What¬ 
ever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. 
Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for 
you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The 
weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will 
you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more 
blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden-bearer. The rest 
that Christ offers depends upon conditions, but these conditions are 
plainly specified. They are those with which all can comply. He tells 
us just how His rest is to be found. 

“Take My yoke upon you,” Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument 
of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they 
may labor effectually. By this illustration, Christ teaches us that we are 
called to sendee as long as life shall last. We are to take upon us His 
yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. 

The yoke that binds to sendee is the law of God. The great law of 
love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant 
written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of 
God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where 
our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan s ranks and become 
possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, 
which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall 
patiently and wisely take up the duties of service. The yoke of sendee 
Christ Himself has borne in humanity. He said, “I delight to do Thy 
will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart .” 3 “I came down 
1 Isa. 53:6. J Ps. 147:4. 3- 3 Ps. 40:8. 


330 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me .” 1 
Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought 
Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of 
His life. This principle He bids us adopt. 

There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because 
they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its service, 
accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is 
marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and 
worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves 
an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out 
the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. 
He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, “My yoke is easy, and My 
burden is light.” He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His 
righteousness, and His promise is, that all things needful to them for this 
life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but 
Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His 
way prepared to bring relief. Our Heavenly Father has a thousand ways 
to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the 
one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme, will find 
perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. 

“Learn of Me,” says Jesus; “for I am meek and lowly in heart, and 
ye shall find rest.” We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from 
Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the 
soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. 
It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practises that have been 
gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be 
delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God. 

In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there 
was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause, nor dejected by 
censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most 
cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. But many who profess 
to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are 
afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete 
surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a 
surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender, they cannot 
find peace. 

It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from 
above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led 
Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be 

1 John 6 : 38. 


THE INVITATION. 


33 r 


seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, 
and learn of Him. We shall understand that the value of our work does 
not consist in making a show and noise in the world, and in being active 
and zealous in our own strength. The value of our work is in proportion 
to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Trust in God brings holier quali¬ 
ties of mind, so that in patience we may possess our souls. 

The yoke is placed upon the oxen to aid them in drawing the load, 
to lighten the burden. So with the yoke of Christ. When our will is 
swallowed up in the will of God, and we use His gifts to bless others, 
we shall find life’s burden light. He who walks in the way of God’s 
commandments is walking in company with Christ, and in His love the 
heart is at rest. When Moses prayed, “Show me now Thy way, that I 
may know Thee,” the Lord answered him, “My presence shall go with 
thee, and I will give thee rest.” And through the prophets the message 
was given, “Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye in the ways, and see, and 
ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye 
shall find rest for your souls .” 1 And He says, “O that thou hadst 
hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, 
and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea .” 2 

Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to 
His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. 
Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad 
by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The 
Lord says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed 
on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee .” 3 Our lives may seem a tangle; 
but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master-worker, He will bring 
out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And 
that character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ, will be 
received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with 
Him in white, for they are worthy. 

As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond 
to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus coming we begin the 
life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. 
The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of 
glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more 
intense will be our happiness. As we walk with Jesus in this life, we 
may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All that human 
nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with 
the hereafter? There “are they before the throne of God, and serve 
1 Ex. 33 :13, 14 ; Jer. 6 :16. 2 Isa. 48 :18. 3 Isa. 26 :3. 


332 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne 
shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any 
more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb 
which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them 
unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from 
their eyes .” 1 

1 Rev. 7 :15-17- 




CHAPTER THIRTY-FIUE. 

had been an eventful day in the life of Jesus. Beside the 
Sea of Galilee, He had spoken His first parables, by familiar 
illustrations again explaining to the people the nature of His 
kingdom and the manner in which it was to be established. 
He had likened His own work to that of the sower; the 
development of His kingdom to the growth of the mustard seed and 
the effect of leaven in the measure of meal. The great final separation 
of the righteous and the wicked He had pictured in the parables of 
the wheat and tares and the fishing-net. The exceeding preciousness 
of the truths He taught had been illustrated by the hidden treasure 
and the pearl of great price, while in the parable of the householder 
He taught His disciples how they were to labor as His representatives. 

All day He had been teaching and healing; and as evening came on, 
the crowds still pressed upon Him. Day after day He had ministered 
to them, scarcely pausing for food or rest. The malicious criticism and 
misrepresentation with which the Pharisees constantly pursued Him, made 
His labors much more severe and harassing; and now the close of the 
day found Him so utterly wearied that He determined to seek retirement 
in some solitary place across the lake. 

The eastern shore of Gennesaret was not uninhabited, for there were 
towns here and there beside the lake; yet it was a desolate region when 
This chapter is based on Matt. 8:23-34; Mark 4:35-41; 5:1-20; Luke 8:32-39. 

(333 ) 












334 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


compared with the western side. It contained a population more heathen 
than Jewish, and had little communication with Galilee. Thus it offered 
Jesus the seclusion He sought, and He now bade His disciples accompany 
Him thither. 

After He had dismissed the multitude, they took Him, even “as 
He was,” into the boat, and hastily set off But they were not to 
depart alone. There were other fishing boats lying near the shore, and 
these were quickly crowded with people who followed Jesus, eager still 
to see and hear Him. 

The Saviour was at last relieved from the pressure of the multitude, 
and, overcome with weariness and hunger, He lay down in the stern 
of the boat, and soon fell asleep. The evening had been calm and 
pleasant, and quiet rested upon the lake; but suddenly darkness over¬ 
spread the sky, the wind swept wildly down the mountain gorges along 
the eastern shore, and a fierce tempest burst upon the lake. 

The sun had set, and the blackness of night settled down upon the 
stormy sea. The waves, lashed into fury by the howling winds, dashed 
fiercely over the disciples’ boat, and threatened to engulf it. Those 
hardy fishermen had spent their lives upon the lake, and had guided 
their craft safely through many a storm; but now their strength and 
skill availed nothing. They were helpless in the grasp of the tempest, 
and hope failed them as they saw that their boat was filling. 

Absorbed in their efforts to save themselves, they had forgotten that 
Jesus was on board. Now, seeing their labor vain, and only death before 
them, they remembered at whose command they had set out to cross 
the sea. In Jesus was their only hope. In their helplessness and 
despair they cried, “Master, Master!” But the dense darkness hid Him 
from their sight. Their voices were drowned by the roaring of the 
tempest, and there was no reply. Doubt and fear assailed them. Had 
Jesus forsaken them? Was He who had conquered disease and demons, 
and even death, powerless to help His disciples now? Was He unmindful 
of them in their distress? 

Again they call, but there is no answer except the shrieking of the 
angry blast. Already their boat is sinking. A moment, and apparently 
they will be swallowed up by the hungry waters. 

Suddenly a flash of lightning pierces the darkness, and they see Jesus 
lying asleep, undisturbed by the tumult. In amazement and despair they 
exclaim, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” How can He rest 
so peacefully, while they are in danger, and battling with death? 

Their cry arouses Jesus. As the lightning’s glare reveals Him, 


PEACE, BE STILE. 


335 



they see the peace of heaven in His face; they read in His glance 
self-forgetful, tender love, and, their hearts turning to Him, cry, “Lord, 
save us; we perish.” 

Never did a soul utter that cry un¬ 
heeded. As the disciples grasp their oars 
to make a last effort, Jesus rises. He 
stands in the midst of His disciples, while 
the tempest rages, the waves break over 
them, and the lightning illuminates His 
countenance. He lifts His 
hand, so often employed in 
deeds of mercy, and says 
to the angry sea, “Peace, 
be still.” 

The storm ceases. The 
billows sink to rest. The 
clouds roll away, and the 
stars shine forth. The boat 
rests upon a quiet sea. 

Then turning to His dis¬ 
ciples, Jesus asks sorrow¬ 
fully, “Why are ye fearful ? 

Have ye not yet faith ?” 1 

A hush fell upon the 
disciples. Even Peter did 
not attempt to express the 
awe that filled his heart. 

The boats that had set out to accompany Jesus had been in the same 
peril with that of the disciples. Terror and despair had seized their 
occupants; but the command of Jesus brought quiet to the scene of 
tumult. The fury of the storm had driven the boats into close prox¬ 
imity, and all on board beheld the miracle. In the calm that followed, 
fear was forgotten. The people whispered among themselves, “What 
manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” 

When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect 
peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was 
in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. 
It was not as the “Master of earth and sea and sky” that He reposed in 
quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, “I can of Mine 


“A 

flash of 
ightning 
pierces the 
darkness, and 
they see desus 
lying asleep.” 


■R. V. 






33^ 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


own self do nothing .” 1 He trusted in the Father’s might. It was in 
faith — faith in God’s love and care — that Jesus rested, and the power 

of that word which 
stilled the storm 
was the power of 
God. 

As Jesus rested 
by faith in the 
Father’s care, so 
we are to rest in 
the care of our Sa¬ 
viour. If the dis¬ 
ciples had trusted 
in Him, they would 
have been kept in 
peace. Their fear 
in the time of dan¬ 
ger revealed their 
unbelief. In their 
efforts to save themselves, they forgot Jesus; and it was only when, in 
despair of self-dependence, they turned to Him, that He could give 
them help. 

How often the disciples’ experience is ours ! When the tempests of 
temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep 
over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who 
can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and 
we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call upon 
Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully 
reproves our unbelief and self-confidence, He never fails to give us the 
help we need. Whether on the land or on the sea, if we have the Saviour 
in our hearts, there is no need of fear. Living faith in the Redeemer 
will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way 
that He knows to be best. 

There is another spiritual lesson in this miracle of the stilling of the 
tempest. Every man’s experience testifies to the truth of the words of 
Scripture, “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. 

, . . There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked .” 2 Sin has 

destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. 
The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We 
'John 5:30. 2 Isa. 57: 20, 21. 



storm had driven the boats into 


close proximity, and all on board 
beheld the miracle.” Page 335. 




PEACE, BE STILL. 


337 


are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm. 
But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee, has spoken the word 
of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to 
Jesus with the cry, “Lord, save us,” will find deliverance. His grace, 
that reconciles the soul to God, quiets the strife of human passion, and 
in His love the heart is at rest. “ He maketh the storm a calm, so that 
the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; 
so He bringeth them unto their desired haven .” 1 “Being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “The 
work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness 
quietness and assurance forever .” 2 


In the early morning the Sa¬ 
viour and His companions came 
to shore, and the light of the ris¬ 
ing sun touched sea and land as 
with the benediction of peace. But 
no sooner had they stepped upon 
the beach than their eyes were 
greeted by a sight more terrible 
than the fury of the tempest. 
From some hiding-place among 



“Their eyes Were greeted by a sight more 
terrible than the fury of the tempest.” 


the tombs, two madmen rushed 
upon them, as if to tear them in 
pieces. Hanging about these men 
were parts of chains which they 
had broken in escaping from con¬ 
finement. Their flesh was tom 
and bleeding where they had cut 
themselves with sharp stones. 

Their eyes glared out from their 

long and matted hair, the very likeness of humanity seemed to have 
been blotted out by the demons that possessed them, and they looked 
more like wild beasts than like men. 

The disciples and their companions fled in terror; but presently they 
noticed that Jesus was not with them, and they turned to look for Him. 
He was standing where they had left Him. He who had stilled the 
tempest, who had before met Satan and conquered him, did not flee 
before these demons. When the men, gnashing their teeth, and foaming 
at the mouth, approached Him, Jesus raised that hand which had beck- 
1 Ps. 107: 29, 30. 2 Rom. 5:1; Isa. 32 :17. 


33 § 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


oned the waves to rest, and the men could come no nearer. They stood 
raging but helpless before Him. 

With authority He bade the unclean spirits come out of them. His 
words penetrated the darkened minds of the unfortunate men. They 
realized dimly that One was near who could save them from the tor¬ 
menting demons. They fell at the Saviour’s feet to worship him; but 
when their lips were opened to entreat His mercy, the demons spoke 
through them, crying vehemently, “What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, 
Thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not.” 

Jesus asked, “What is thy name?” And the answer 
was, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Using 
the afflicted men as mediums of communication, they be¬ 
sought Jesus not to send them out of the country. Upon 
a mountain-side not far distant a great herd of swine was 
feeding. Into these the demons asked to be allowed to 
enter, and Jesus suffered them. Immediately a panic 
seized the herd. They rushed madly down the cliff, 
and, unable to check themselves upon the shore, 
plunged into the lake, and perished. 

Meanwhile a marvelous change had come over the 
demoniacs. Light had shone into their minds. Their 
eyes beamed with intelligence. The countenances so 
long deformed into the image of Satan, became sud¬ 
denly mild, the blood-stained hands were quiet, and 
with glad voices the men praised God for their 
deliverance. 

From the cliff the keepers of the swine had seen 
all that had occurred, and they hurried away to publish the news to their 
employers and to all the people. In fear and amazement the whole pop¬ 
ulation flocked to meet Jesus. The two demoniacs had been the terror of 
the country. No one had been safe to pass the place where they were; 
for they would rush upon every traveler with the fury of demons. Now 
these men were clothed and in their right mind, sitting at the feet of 
Jesus, listening to His words, and glorifying the name of Him who had 
made them whole. But the people who beheld this wonderful scene 
did not rejoice. The loss of the swine seemed to them of greater 
moment than the deliverance of these captives of Satan. 

It was in mercy to the owners of the swine that this loss had been 
permitted to come upon them. They were absorbed in earthly things, 
and cared not for the great interests of spiritual life. Jesus desired to 



“They rushed madly 
do\Vn the cliff.” 


PEACE, BE STILL. 


339 


break the spell of selfish indifference, that they might accept His grace. 
But regret and indignation for their temporal loss blinded their eyes to 
the Saviour’s mercy. 

The manifestation of supernatural power aroused the superstitions of 
the people, and excited their fears. Further calamities might follow 
from having this stranger among them. They apprehended financial 
ruin, and determined to be freed from His presence. Those who had 
crossed the lake with Jesus told of all that had happened on the pre¬ 
ceding night; of their peril in the tempest, and how the wind and the 
sea had been stilled. But their words were without effect. In terror 
the people thronged about Jesus, beseeching Him to depart from them, 
and He complied, taking ship at once for the opposite shore. 

The people of Gergesa had before them the living evidence of Christ’s 
power and mercy. They saw the men who had been restored to reason; 
but they were so fearful of endangering their earthly interests, that He 
who had vanquished the prince of darkness before their eyes, was treated 
as an intruder, and the Gift of heaven was turned from their doors. 
We have not the opportunity of turning from the person of Christ as 
had the Gergesenes; but still there are many who refuse to obey His 
word, because obedience would involve the sacrifice of some worldly 
interest. Lest His presence shall cause them pecuniary loss, many 
reject His grace, and drive His Spirit from them. 

But far different was the feeling of the restored demoniacs. They 
desired the company of their deliverer. In His presence they felt 
secure from the demons that had tormented their lives and wasted their 
manhood. As Jesus was about to enter the boat, they kept close to 
His side, knelt at His feet, and begged Him to keep them near Him, 
where they might ever listen to His words. But Jesus bade them go 
home and tell what great things the Lord had done for them. 

Here was a work for them to do, — to go to a heathen home, and 
tell of the blessing they had received from Jesus. It was hard for them 
to be separated from the Saviour. Great difficulties were sure to beset 
them in association with their heathen countrymen. And their long 
isolation from society seemed to have disqualified them for the work 
He had indicated. But as soon as Jesus pointed out their duty, they 
were ready to obey. Not only did they tell their own households and 
neighbors about Jesus, but they went throughout Decapolis, everywhere 
declaring His power to save, and describing how He had freed them 
from the demons. In doing this work, they could receive a greater 
blessing than if, merely for benefit to themselves, they had remained in 


340 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


His presence. It is in working to spread the good news of salvation 
that we are brought near to the Saviour. 

The two restored demoniacs were the first missionaries whom Christ 
sent to preach the gospel in the region of Decapolis. For a few 
moments only, these men had been privileged to hear the teachings of 
Christ. Not one sermon from His lips had ever fallen upon their ears. 
They could not instruct the people as the disciples who had been daily 
with Christ were able to do. But they bore in their own persons the 
evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. They could tell what they knew; 
what they themselves had seen, and heard, and felt of the power of Christ. 
This is what every one can do whose heart has been touched by the 
grace of God. John, the beloved disciple, wrote: “That which was from 
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word 
of life; . . . that which we have seen and heard declare we unto 

you .” 1 As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we 
ourselves have seen and heard and felt. If we have been following 
Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell 
concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell how we have 
tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness 
to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for 
which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing. 

Though the people of Gergesa had not received Jesus, He did not 
leave them to the darkness they had chosen. When they bade Him 
depart from them, they had not heard His words. They were ignorant 
of that which they were rejecting. Therefore He again sent the light 
to them, and by those to whom they would not refuse to listen. 

In causing the destruction of the swine, it was Satan’s purpose to 
turn the people away from the Saviour, and prevent the preaching of the 
gospel in that region. But this very occurrence roused the whole 
country as nothing else could have done, and directed attention to 
Christ. Though the Saviour Himself departed, the men whom He had 
healed, remained as witnesses to His power. Those who had been 
mediums of the prince of darkness, became channels of light, messen¬ 
gers of the Son of God. Men marveled as they listened to the wondrous 
news. A door was opened to the gospel throughout that region. When 
Jesus returned to Decapolis, the people flocked about Him, and for three 
days, not merely the inhabitants of one town, but thousands from all the 
surrounding region, heard the message of salvation. Even the power of 

1 1 John i: 1-3. 


PEACE, BE STILL. 


34 1 

demons is under the control of our Saviour, and the working of evil is 
overruled for good. 

The encounter with the demoniacs of Gergesa had a lesson for the 
disciples. It showed the depths of degradation to which Satan is seeking 
to drag the whole human race, and the mission of Christ to set men 
free from his power. Those wretched beings, dwelling in the place of 
graves, possessed by demons, in bondage to uncontrolled passions and 
loathsome lusts, represent what humanity would become if given up to 
Satanic jurisdiction. Satan’s influence is constantly exerted upon men 
to distract the senses, control the mind for evil, and incite to violence 
and crime. He weakens the body, darkens the intellect, and debases the 
soul. Whenever men reject the Saviour’s invitation, they are yielding 
themselves to Satan. Multitudes in every department in life, in the 
home, in business, and even in the church, are doing this to-day. It 
is because of this that violence and crime have overspread the earth; 
and moral darkness, like the pall of death, enshrouds the habitations of 
men. Through his specious temptations, Satan leads men to worse and 
worse evils, till utter depravity and ruin are the result. The only safe¬ 
guard against his power is found in the presence of Jesus. Before men 
and angels, Satan has been revealed as man’s enemy and destroyer; 
Christ, as man’s friend and deliverer. His Spirit will develop in man 
all that will ennoble the character and dignify the nature. It will build 
man up for the glory of God in body and soul and spirit. “For God 
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of 
a sound mind.” 1 He has called us “to the obtaining of the glory” — 
character—“of our Lord Jesus Christ;” has called us to be “conformed 
to the image of His Son.” 2 

And souls that have been degraded into instruments of Satan, are 
still through the power of Christ transformed into messengers of right¬ 
eousness, and sent forth by the Son of God to tell what “great things 
the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” 
x 2 Tim. 1:7. 2 2 Thess. 2:14; Rom. 8:29. 



41 




CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX 



ETURNING from Gergesa to the western shore, Jesus found 
a multitude gathered to receive Him, and they greeted Him 
with joy. He remained by the seaside for a time, teaching 
and healing, and then repaired to the house of Levi-Matthew 
to meet the publicans at the feast. Here Jairus, the ruler of 
the synagogue, found Him. 

This elder of the Jews came to Jesus in great distress, and cast 
himself at His feet exclaiming, “My little daughter lieth at the point 
of death; I pray Thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may 
be healed; and she shall live.” 

Jesus set out at once with the ruler for his home. Though the 
disciples had seen so many of His works of mercy, they were surprised 
at His compliance with the entreaty of the haughty rabbi; yet they 
accompanied their Master, and the people followed, eager and expectant. 
The ruler’s house was not far distant, but Jesus and His companions 
advanced slowly, for the crowd pressed Him on every side. The anxious 
father was impatient of delay; but Jesus, pitying the people, stopped now 
and then to relieve some suffering one, or to comfort a troubled heart. 

While they were still on the way, a messenger pressed through the 
crowd, bearing to Jairus the news that his daughter was dead, and it 
was useless to trouble the Master further. The word caught the ear of 
Jesus. “Fear not,” He said; “believe only, and she shall be made whole.” 

Jairus pressed closer to the Saviour, and together they hurried to 
the ruler’s home. Already the hired mourners and flute-players were 
there, filling the air with their clamor. The presence of the crowd, and 
This chapter is based on Matt. 9: 18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56. 

(342 ) 






THE TOUCH OF FAITH. 


343 



the tumult, jarred upon the spirit of Jesus. He tried to silence them, 
saying, “Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but 
sleepeth.” They were indignant at the words of the stranger. They 
had seen the child in the embrace of death, and they laughed Him to 
scorn. Requiring them all to leave the house, Jesus took with Him 
the father and mother of the maiden, and the three disciples, Peter, 
James, and John, and together they entered the chamber of death. 

Jesus approached the bedside, and taking the child’s hand in His own, 
He pronounced 


messenger pressed through 
crowd, bearing to dairus 
news that his daughter Was 






softly, in the fa¬ 
miliar language 
of her home, the 
words, “Damsel, 

I say unto thee, 

Arise.” 

Instantly a 
tremor passed 
through the un¬ 
conscious form. 

The pulses of life 
beat again. The 
lips unclosed 
with a smile. 

The eyes opened 
widely as if from 
sleep, and the 

maiden gazed with wonder on the group beside her. She arose, 
her parents clasped her in their arms, and wept for joy. 

On the way to the ruler’s house, Jesus had met, in the crowd, a 
poor woman who for twelve years had suffered from a disease that 
made her life a burden. She had spent all her means upon physicians 
and remedies, only to be pronounced incurable. But her hopes revived 
when she heard of the cures that Christ performed. She felt assured 
that if she could only go to Him, she would be healed. In weakness 
and suffering she came to the seaside where He was teaching, and tried 
to press through the crowd, but in vain. Again she followed Him from 
the house of Levi-Matthew, but was still unable to reach Him. She had 
begun to despair, when, in making His way through the multitude, He 
came near where she was. 

The golden opportunity had come. She was in the presence of the 


and 




344 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


great Physician! But amid the confusion she could not speak to Him, 
nor catch more than a passing glimpse of His figure. Fearful of losing 
her one chance of relief, she pressed forward, saying to herself, “If I 
may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.” As He was passing, 
she reached forward, and succeeded in barely touching the border of 

His garment. But in 
that moment she knew 
that she was healed. 
In that one touch was 
concentrated the faith 
of her life, and instantly 
her pain and feebleness 
gave place to the vigor 
of perfect health. 

With a grateful heart 
she then tried to with¬ 
draw from the crowd; 
but suddenly Jesus 
stopped, and the people 
halted with Him. He 
turned, and looking 
about asked in a 
voice distinctly heard 
above the confusion of 
the multitude, “Who 
touched Me?” The 
people answered this query with a look of amazement. Jostled upon all 
sides, and rudely pressed hither and thither, as He was, it seemed a 
strange inquiry. 

Peter, ever ready to speak, said, “Master, the multitude throng Thee 
and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me?” Jesus answered, 
“Somebody hath touched Me; for I perceive that virtue is gone out of 
Me.” The Saviour could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual 
contact of the careless throng. Such trust should not be passed without 
comment. He would speak to the humble woman words of comfort that 
would be to her a well-spring of joy,—words that would be a blessing 
to His followers to the close of time. 

Looking toward the woman, Jesus insisted on knowing who had 
touched Him. Finding concealment vain, she came forward tremblingly, 
and cast herself at His feet. With grateful tears she told the story of her 




THE LIFE-GIVER. 


" Damsel, I say unto 
thee. Arise.” 











THE TOUCH OF FAITH. 


347 


suffering, and how she had found relief. Jesus gently said, “Daughter, 
be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” He 
gave no opportunity for superstition to claim healing virtue for the mere 
act of touching His garments. It was not through the outward contact 
with Him, but through the faith which took hold on His divine power, 
that the cure was wrought. 

The wondering crowd that pressed close about Christ realized no 
accession of vital power. But when the suffering woman put forth her 
hand to touch Him, believing that she would be made whole, she felt 
the healing virtue. So in spiritual things. To talk of religion in a 
casual way, to pray without soul-hunger and living faith, avails nothing. 
A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of 
the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto 
salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits 
for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing 
from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe 
in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces 
Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. 
Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction, by which 
those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. 
Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding 
trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power. 

After healing the woman, Jesus desired her to acknowledge the 
blessing she had received. The gifts which the gospel offers, are not 
to be secured by stealth or enjoyed in secret. So the Lord calls upon 
us for confession of His goodness. “Ye are My witnesses, saith the 
Lord, that I am God.”’ 

Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven’s chosen agency for 
revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as 
made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most 
effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for 
God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. 
Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience 
differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend 
to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledg¬ 
ments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ- 
like life, have an irresistible power, that works for the salvation of souls. 

When the ten lepers came to Jesus for healing, He bade them go and 
show themselves to the priest. On the way they were cleansed, but only 

1 Isa. 43:12. 


348 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


one of them returned to give Him glory. The others went their way, 
forgetting Him who had made them whole. How many are still doing 
the same thing. The Lord w r orks continually to benefit mankind. He 
is ever imparting His bounties. He raises up the sick from beds of 
languishing, He delivers men from peril which they do not see, He 
commissions heavenly angels to save them from calamity, to guard them 
from “the pestilence that walketh in darkness,” and “the destruction that 
wasteth at noonday;” 1 but their hearts are unimpressed. He has given 
all the riches of heaven to redeem them, and yet they are unmindful of 
His great love. By their ingratitude they close their hearts against the 
grace of God. Like the heath in the desert, they know not when good 
cometh, and their souls inhabit the parched places of the wilderness. 

It is for our own benefit to keep every gift of God fresh in our 
memory. Thus faith is strengthened to claim and to receive more and 
more. There is greater encouragement for us in the least blessing we 
ourselves receive from God than in all the accounts we can read of the 
faith and experience of others. The soul that responds to the grace 
of God shall be like a watered garden. His health shall spring forth 
speedily; his light shall rise in obscurity, and the glory of the Lord 
shall be seen upon him. Let us then remember the loving-kindness of 
the Lord, and the multitude of His tender mercies. Like the people 
of Israel, let us set up our stones of witness, and inscribe upon them the 
precious story of what God has wrought for us. And as we review His 
dealings with us in our pilgrimage, let us, out of hearts melted with 
gratitude, declare, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits 
toward me ? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name 
of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of 
all His people.” 2 

1 Ps. 91: 6. 2 Ps. 116 :12-14. 




CHAPTER THIRTY-SEUEN. 

HE apostles were members of the family of Jesus, and they had 
accompanied Him as He traveled on foot through Galilee. 
They had shared with Him the toils and hardships that 
overtook them. They had listened to His discourses, they 
had walked and talked with the Son of God, and from His 
daily instruction they had learned how to work for the elevation of 
humanity. As Jesus ministered to the vast multitudes that gathered about 
Him, His disciples were in attendance, eager to do His bidding and to 
lighten His labor. They assisted in arranging the people, bringing the 
afflicted ones to the Saviour, and promoting the comfort of all. They 
watched for interested hearers, explained the Scriptures to them, and in 
various ways worked for their spiritual benefit. They taught what they 
had learned of Jesus, and were every day obtaining a rich experience. 
But they needed also an experience in laboring alone. They were still 
in need of much instruction, great patience and tenderness. Now, while 
He was personally with them, to point out their errors, and counsel and 
correct them, the Saviour sent them forth as His representatives. 

While they had been with Him, the disciples had often been per¬ 
plexed by the teaching of the priests and Pharisees, but they had brought 
their perplexities to Jesus. He had set before them the truths of Scrip¬ 
ture in contrast with tradition. Thus He had strengthened their 
confidence in God’s word, and in a great measure had set them free 
from their fear of the rabbis, and their bondage to tradition. In the 
training of the disciples the example of the Saviour’s life was far more 
effective than any mere doctrinal instruction. When they were separated 
This chapter is based on Matt, io; Mark 6 :7-11; Luke 9:1-6. 

( 349 ) 






35 ° 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


from Him, every look and tone and word came back to them. Often 
when in conflict with the enemies of the gospel, they repeated His words, 
and as they saw their effect upon the people, they rejoiced greatly. 

Calling the twelve about Him, Jesus bade them go out two and two 
through the towns and villages. None were sent forth alone, but brother 
was associated with brother, friend with friend. Thus they could help 
and encourage each other, counseling and praying together, each one’s 
strength supplementing the other’s weakness. In the same manner He 
afterward sent forth the seventy. It was the Saviour’s purpose that the 
messengers of the gospel should be associated in this way. In our own 
time evangelistic work would be far more successful if this example were 
more closely followed. 

The disciples’ message was the same as that of John the Baptist and of 
Christ Himself: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” They were to enter 
into no controversy with the people as to whether Jesus of Nazareth was 
the Messiah; but in His name they were to do the same works of mercy 
as He had done. He bade them, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, 
raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely give.” 

During His ministry, Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick 
than to preaching. His miracles testified to the truth of His w r ords, 
that He came not to destroy, but to save. His righteousness went 
before Him, and the glory of the Lord was His rearward. Wherever 
He went, the tidings of His mercy preceded Him. Where He had 
passed, the objects of His compassion were rejoicing in health, and 
making trial of their new-found powers. Crowds were collecting around 
them to hear from their lips the works that the Lord had wrought 
His voice was the first sound that many had ever heard, His name the 
first word they had ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked 
upon. Why should they not love Jesus, and sound His praise? As 

He passed through the towns and cities, He was like a vital current, 

diffusing life and joy wherever He went. 

The followers of Christ are to labor as He did. We are to feed 
the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted. 

We are to minister to the despairing, and inspire hope in the hopeless. 

And to us also the promise will be fulfilled, “Thy righteousness shall 
go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward .” 1 The 
love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in 
reforming the evil-doer than will the sword or the court of justice. 
These are necessary to strike terror to the law-breaker, but the loving 

1 Isa. 58:8. 


THE FIRST EVANGELISTS. 


351 


missionary can do more than this. Often the heart will harden under 
reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. The missionary can not 
only relieve physical maladies, but he can lead the sinner to the great 
Physician, who can cleanse the soul from the leprosy of sin. Through 
His servants, God designs that the sick, the unfortunate, those possessed 
of evil spirits, shall hear His voice. Through His human agencies He 
desires to be a Comforter such as the world knows not. 

The disciples on their first missionary tour were to go only to •‘the 
lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If they had now preached the gospel 
to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, they would have lost their influence 
with the Jews. By exciting the prejudice of the Pharisees they would 
have involved themselves in controversy which would have discouraged 
them at the outset of their labors. Even the apostles were slow to 
understand that the gospel was to be carried to all nations. Until they 
themselves could grasp this truth, they were not prepared to labor for 
the Gentiles. If the Jews would receive the gospel, God purposed to 
make them His messengers to the Gentiles. Therefore they were first 
to hear the message. 

All over the field of Christ’s labor there were souls awakened to 
their need, and hungering and thirsting for the truth. The time had 
come to send the tidings of His love to these longing hearts. To all 
these the disciples were to go as His representatives. The believers 
would thus be led to look upon them as divinely appointed teachers, 
and when the Saviour should be taken from them, they would not be 
left without instructors. 

On this first tour the disciples were to go only where Jesus had been 
before them, and had made friends. Their preparation for the journey 
was to be of the simplest kind. Nothing must be allowed to divert 
their minds from their great work, or in any way excite opposition and 
close the door for further labor. They were not to adopt the dress of 
the religious teachers, nor use any guise in apparel to distinguish them 
from the humble peasants. They were not to enter into the synagogues 
and call the people together for public service; their efforts were to be 
put forth in house-to-house labor. They were not to waste time in 
needless salutations, or in going from house to house for entertainment. 
But in every place they were to accept the hospitality of those who 
were worthy, those who would welcome them heartily as if entertaining 
Christ Himself. They were to enter the dwelling with the beautiful 
salutation, “Peace be to this house .” 1 That home would be blessed by 

J Luke 10: 5. 



352 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


their prayers, their songs of praise, and the opening of the Scriptures in 
the family circle. 

These disciples were to be heralds of the truth, to prepare the way 
for the coming of their Master. The message they had to bear was 
the word of eternal life, and the destiny of men depended upon their 
reception or rejection of it. To impress the people with its solemnity, 
Jesus bade His disciples, “Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear 
your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the 
dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable 
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment, than for 
that city.” 

Now the Saviour’s eye penetrates the future; He beholds the broader 
fields in which, after His death, the diciples are to be witnesses for Him. 
His prophetic glance takes in the experience of His servants through 
all the ages till He shall come the second time. He shows His followers 
the conflicts they must meet; He reveals the character and plan of the 
battle. He lays open before them the perils they must encounter, 
the self-denial that will be required. He desires them to count the 
cost, that they may not be taken unawares by the enemy. Their warfare 
is not to be waged against flesh and blood, but “against the principalities, 
against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the 
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places .” 1 They are to 
contend with supernatural forces, but they are assured of supernatural 
help. All the intelligences of heaven are in this army. And more than 
angels are in the ranks. The Holy Spirit, the representative of the 
Captain of the Lord’s host, comes down to direct the battle. Our 
infirmities may be many, our sins and mistakes grievous; but the grace 
of God is for all who seek it with contrition. The power of Omnipotence 
is enlisted in behalf of those who trust in God. 

“Behold,” said Jesus, “I send you forth as sheep in the midst of 
wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Christ 
Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in 
love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention 
in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly 
spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He 
did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, 
unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His 
scathing rebukes. He wept over Jerusalem, the city He loved, that 
refused to receive Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They 

1 Eph. 6:12, R. V. 


THE FIRST EVANGELISTS. 


353 


rejected Him, the Saviour, but He regarded them with pitying tender¬ 
ness, and sorrow so deep that it broke His heart. Every soul was 
precious in His eyes. While He always bore Himself with divine 
dignity, He bowed with tenderest regard to every member of the family 
of God. In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission 
to save. 

The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural 
heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under 
provocation, self rise up, and they 
pour forth a torrent of words that 
are unbefitting, that are not as 
dew, or the still showers that re¬ 
fresh the withering plants. This 
is what Satan wants them to do; 
for these are his methods. It is 
the dragon that is wroth; it is the 
spirit of Satan that is revealed in 
anger and accusing. But God’s 
servants are to be representatives 
of Him. He desires them to deal 
only in the currency of heaven, 
the truth that bears His own 
image and superscription. The 
power by which they are to over¬ 
come evil is the power of Christ. 

The glory of Christ is their 
strength. They are to fix their 
eyes upon His loveliness. Then they can present the gospel with divine 
tact and gentleness. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provoca¬ 
tion will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any 
argument, however forcible. 

Those who are brought in controversy with the enemies of truth 
have to meet, not only men, but Satan and his agents. Let them 
remember the Saviour’s words, “Behold, I send you forth as lambs 
among wolves .” 1 Let them rest in the love of God, and the spirit will 
be kept calm, even under personal abuse. The Lord will clothe them 
with a divine panoply. His Holy Spirit will influence the mind and 
heart, so that their voices shall not catch the notes of the baying of 
the wolves. 



“ I send you forth as sheep in the midst of 
Wolves.” 


1 Luke io: 3. 


354 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Continuing His instruction to His disciples, Jesus said, “Beware of 
men.” They were not to put implicit confidence in those who knew 
not God, and open to them their counsels; for this would give Satan’s 
agents an advantage. Man’s inventions often counterwork God’s plans. 
Those who build the temple of the Lord, are to build according to the 
pattern shown in the mount, — the divine similitude. God is dishonored 
and the gospel is betrayed when His servants depend on the counsel 
of men who are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Worldly 
wisdom is foolishness with God. Those who rely upon it, will surely err. 

“They will deliver you up to councils, . . . yea, and before 

governors and kings shall ye be brought for My sake, for a testimony 
to them and to the Gentiles .” 1 Persecution will spread the light. The 
servants of Christ will be brought before the great men of the world, 
who, but for this, might never hear the gospel. The truth has been 
misrepresented to these men. They have listened to false charges con¬ 
cerning the faith of Christ’s disciples. Often their only means of learning 
its real character is the testimony of those who are brought to trial for 
their faith. Under examination these are required to answer, and their 
judges to listen to the testimony borne. God’s grace will be dispensed 
to His servants to meet the emergency. “It shall be given you,” says 
Jesus, “in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that 
speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” As the 
Spirit of God illuminates the minds of His servants, the truth will be 
presented in its divine power and preciousness. Those who reject the 
truth will stand to accuse and oppress the disciples. But under loss 
and suffering, even unto death, the Lord’s children are to reveal the 
meekness of their divine Example. Thus will be seen the contrast 
between Satan’s' agents and the representatives of Christ. The Saviour 
will be lifted up before the rulers and the people. 

The disciples were not endowed with the courage and fortitude of 
the martyrs until such grace was needed. Then the Saviour’s promise 
was fulfilled. When Peter and John testified before the Sanhedrim 
council, men “marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they 
had been with Jesus .” 2 Of Stephen it is written that “all that sat in 
the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the 
face of an angel.” Men “were not able to resist the wisdom and 
the spirit by which he spake .” 3 And Paul, writing of his own trial 
at the court of the Caesars, says, “At my first defense no one took 
my part, but all forsook me. . . . But the Lord stood by me, 

1 R. V. 2 Acts 4 :13. 3 Acts 6:15, 10. 


THE FIRST EVANGELISTS. 


355 


and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully 
proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered 
out of the mouth of the lion .” 1 

The servants of Christ were to prepare no set speech to present 
when brought to trial. Their preparation was to be made day by day 
in treasuring up the precious truths of God’s word, and through prayer 
strengthening their faith. When they were brought into trial, the Holy 
Spirit would bring to their remembrance the veiy truths that would 
be needed. 

A daily, earnest striving to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He 
has sent, would bring power and efficiency to the soul. The knowledge 
obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures, would be flashed into 
the memory at the right time. But if any had neglected to acquaint 
themselves with the words of Christ, if they had never tested the power 
of His grace in trial, they could not expect that the Holy Spirit would 
bring His words to their remembrance. They were to serve God daily 
with undivided affection, and then trust Him. 

So bitter would be the enmity to the gospel that even the tenderest 
earthly ties would be disregarded. The disciples of Christ would be 
betrayed to death by the members of their own households. “Ye shall 
be hated of all men for My name’s sake,” He added; “but he that shall 
endure unto the end, shall be saved .” 2 But He bade them not to expose 
themselves unnecessarily to persecution. He Himself often left one field 
of labor for another, in order to escape from those who were seeking 
His life. When He was- rejected at Nazareth, and His own townsmen 
tried to kill Him, He went down to Capernaum, and there the people 
were astonished at His teaching; “for His word was with power .” 3 So 
His servants were not to be discouraged by persecution, but to seek a 
place where they could still labor for the salvation of souls. 

The servant is not above his master. The Prince of heaven was 
called Beelzebub, and His disciples will be misrepresented in like manner. 
But whatever the danger, Christ’s followers must avow their principles. 
They should scorn concealment. They cannot remain uncommitted until 
assured of safety in confessing the truth. They are set as watchmen, 
to warn men of their peril. The truth received from Christ must be 
imparted to all, freely and openly. Jesus said, “What I tell you in 
darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that 
preach ye upon the housetops.” 

Jesus Himself never purchased peace by compromise. His heart 
1 2 Tim. 4: 16, 17, R. V. 2 Mark 13:13. 3 Luke 4:32. 


356 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


overflowed with love for the whole human race, but He was never indul¬ 
gent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while 
they were pursuing a course that would ruin their souls, — the souls He 
had purchased with His own blood. He labored that man should be 
true to himself, true to his higher and eternal interest. The servants 
of Christ are called to the same work, and they should beware lest, in 
seeking to prevent discord, they surrender the truth. They are to 
“follow after the things which make for peace ;” 1 but real peace can 
never be secured by compromising principle. And no man can be true 
to principle without exciting opposition. A Christianity that is spiritual 
will be opposed by the children of disobedience. But Jesus bade His 
disciples, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill 
the soul.” Those who are true to God need not fear the power of men 
nor the enmity of Satan. In Christ their eternal life is secure. Their 
only fear should be, lest they surrender the truth, and thus betray the 
trust with which God has honored them. 

It is Satan’s work to fill men’s hearts with doubt. He leads them to 
look upon God as a stern judge. He tempts them to sin, and then 
to regard themselves as too vile to approach their Heavenly Father or to 
excite His pity. The Lord understands all this. Jesus assures His 
disciples of God’s sympathy for them in their needs and weaknesses. 
Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but 
the throb vibrates to the Father’s heart. 

The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state 
of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand 
times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy intelligences, all 
waiting to do His will. Through channels which we cannot discern, 
He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. But 
it is in this speck of a world, in the souls that He gave His only 
begotten Son to save, that His interest and the interest of all heaven is 
centered. God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the 
oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, “Here am I.” He 
uplifts the distressed and down-trodden. In all our afflictions He is 
afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the angel of His presence 
is near to deliver. 

Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. 
Satan’s hatred against God leads him to hate every object of the Sa¬ 
viour’s care. He seeks to mar the handiwork of God, and he delights in 
destroying even the dumb creatures. It is only through God’s protecting 

’Rom. 14:19. 


THE FIRST EVANGELISTS. 


357 


care that the birds are preserved to gladden us with their songs of joy. 
But He does not forget even the sparrows. “Fear ye not therefore, ye 
are of more value than many sparrows.” 

Jesus continues: As you confess Me before men, so I will confess 
you before God and the holy angels. You are to be My witnesses 
upon earth, channels through which My grace can flow for the healing 
of the world. So I will be your representative in heaven. The Father 
beholds not your faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My 
perfection. I am the medium through which Heaven’s blessings shall 
come to you. And every one who confesses Me by sharing My sacrifice 
for the lost, shall be confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the 
redeemed. 

He who would confess Christ, must have Christ abiding in him. He 
cannot communicate that which he has not received. The disciples 
might speak fluently on doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ 
Himself; but unless they possessed Christlike meekness and love, they 
were not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ 
would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by 
evil-speaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. 
They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful 
pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncour- 
teous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by 
cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all 
these ways they declare that Christ is not in them. And “whosoever 
shall deny Me before men,” He says, “him will I also deny before My 
Father which is in heaven.” 

The Saviour bade His disciples not to hope that the world’s enmity 
to the gospel would be overcome, and that after a time its opposition 
would cease. He said, “I came not to send peace, but a sword.” This 
creating of strife is not the effect of the gospel, but the result of opposition 
to it. Of all persecution the hardest to bear is variance in the home, the 
estrangement of dearest earthly friends. But Jesus declares, “He that 
loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he 
that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy 
of Me.” 

The mission of Christ’s servants is a high honor, and a sacred trust. 
“He that receiveth you,” He says, “receiveth Me, and he that receiveth 
Me receiveth Him that sent Me.” No act of kindness shown to them 
in His name will fail to be recognized and rewarded. And in the same 


358 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


tender recognition He includes the feeblest and lowliest of the family of 
God: “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones” — 
those who are as children in their faith and their knowledge of Christ — “a 
cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, 
he shall in no wise lose his reward.” 

Thus the Saviour ended His instruction. In the name of Christ the 
chosen twelve went out, as He had gone, “to preach the gospel to 
the poor, ... to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance 
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty 
them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord .” 1 

1 Luke 4 :18, 19. 















returning from their missionary tour, “the apostles gathered 
themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, 
both what they had done, and what they had taught. And 
He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert 
place, and rest awhile: for there were many coming and 
going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” 

The disciples came to Jesus and told Him all things. Their intimate 
relationship with Him encouraged them to lay before Him their favor¬ 
able and unfavorable experiences, their joy at seeing results from their 
labors, and their sorrow at their failures, their faults, and their weaknesses. 
They had committed errors in their first work as evangelists, and as they 
frankly told Christ of their experiences, He saw that they needed much 
instruction. He saw, too, that they had become weary in their labors, 
and that they needed to rest. 

But where they then were, they could not obtain the needed privacy; 
“for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so 
much as to eat.” The people were thronging after Christ, anxious to be 
healed, and eager to listen to His words. Many telt drawn to Him; 
for He seemed to them to be the fountain of all blessings. Many of 
those who then thronged about Christ to receive the precious boon 
of health, accepted Him as their Saviour. Many others, afraid then to 
confess Him, because of the Pharisees, were converted at the descent 

This chapter is based on Matt. 14:1, 2, 12, 13; Mark 6:30-32; Luke 9:7-10. 

22 ( 359 ) 










3 6o 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


of the Holy Spirit, and, before the angry priests and rulers, acknowledged 
Him as the Son of God. 

But now Christ longed for retirement, that He might be with His 
disciples; for He had much to say to them. In their work they had 
passed through the test of conflict, and had encountered opposition in 
various forms. Hitherto they had consulted Christ in everything; but 
for some time they had been alone, and at times they had been much 
troubled to know what to do. They had found much encouragement in 
their work; for Christ did not send them away without His Spirit, and 
by faith in Him they worked many miracles; but they needed now to 
feed on the bread of life. They needed to go to a place of retirement, 
where they could hold communion with Jesus, and receive instruction 
for future work. 

“And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert 
place, and rest awhile.” Christ is full of tenderness and compassion for 
all in His service. He would show His disciples that God does not 
require sacrifice, but mercy. They had been putting their whole souls 
into labor for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and 
mental strength. It was their duty to rest. 

As the disciples had seen the success of their labors, they were in 
danger of taking credit to themselves, in danger of cherishing spiritual 
pride, and thus falling under Satan’s temptations. A great work was 
before them, and first of all they must learn that their strength was not 
in self, but in God. Like Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, like David 
among the hills of Judea, or Elijah by the brook Cherith, the disciples 
needed to come apart from the scenes of their busy activity, to commune 
with Christ, with nature, and with their own hearts. 

While the disciples had been absent on their missionary tour, Jesus 
had visited other towns and villages, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. 
It was about this time that He received tidings of the Baptist’s death. 
This event brought vividly before Him the end to which His own steps 
were tending. The shadows were gathering thickly about His path. 
Priests and rabbis were watching to compass His death, spies hung upon 
His steps, and on every hand plots for His ruin were multiplying. News 
of the preaching of the apostles throughout Galilee reached Herod, calling 
his attention to Jesus and His work. “This is John the Baptist,” he said; 
“he is risen from the dead;” and he expressed a desire to see Jesus. 
Herod was in constant fear lest a revolution might be secretly carried 
forward, with the object of unseating him from the throne, and breaking 
the Roman yoke from the Jewish nation. Among the people the spirit 


COME REST AWHILE. 


361 


of discontent and insurrection was rife. It was evident that Christ’s 
public labors in Galilee could not be long continued. The scenes of 
His suffering were drawing near, and He longed to be apart for a season 
from the confusion of the multitude. 

With saddened hearts the disciples of John had borne his mutilated 
body to its burial. Then they “went and told Jesus.” These disciples 
had been envious of Christ when He seemed to be drawing the people 
away from John. They had sided with the Pharisees in accusing Him 
when He sat with the publicans at Matthew’s feast. They had doubted 
His divine mission because He did not set the Baptist at liberty. But 
now that their teacher was dead, and they longed for consolation in 
their great sorrow, and for guidance as to their future work, they came 
to Jesus, and united their interest with His. They too needed a season of 
quiet for communion with the Saviour. 

Near Bethsaida, at the northern end of the lake, was a lonely region, 
now beautiful with the fresh green of spring, that offered a welcome 
retreat to Jesus and His disciples. For this place they set out, going 
in their boat across the water. Here they would be away from the 
thoroughfares of travel, and the bustle and agitation of the city. The 
scenes of nature were in themselves a rest, a change grateful to the senses. 
Here they could listen to the words of Christ without hearing the angry 
interruptions, the retorts and accusations of the scribes and Pharisees. 
Here they could enjoy a short season of precious fellowship in the society 
of their Lord. 

The rest which Christ and His disciples took was not self-indulgent 
rest. The time they spent in retirement was not devoted to pleasure¬ 
seeking. They talked together regarding the work of God, and the 
possibility of bringing greater efficiency to the work. The disciples had 
been with Christ, and could understand Him; to them He need not talk 
in parables. He corrected their errors, and made plain to them the 
right way of approaching the people. He opened more fully to them 
the precious treasures of divine truth. They were vitalized by divine 
power, and inspired with hope and courage. 

Though Jesus could work miracles, and had empowered His disciples 
to work miracles, He directed His worn servants to go apart into the 
country and rest. When He said that the harvest was great, and 
the laborers were few, He did not urge upon His disciples the necessity 
of ceaseless toil, but said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, 
that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.”' God has appointed 


‘Matt. 9:38. 


362 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


to every man his work, according to his ability , 1 and He would not have 
a few weighted with responsibilities, while others have no burden, no 
travail of soul. 

Christ’s words of compassion are spoken to His workers to-day just 
as surely as they were spoken to His disciples. “Come ye yourselves 
apart, . . . and rest awhile,” He says to those who are worn and 

weary. It is not wise to be always under the strain of work and 

excitement, even in ministering to men’s spiritual needs; for in this -way 
personal piety is neglected, and the powers of mind and soul and body 
are overtaxed. Self-denial is required of the disciples of Christ, and 
sacrifices must be made; but care must also be exercised lest through 
their overzeal Satan take advantage of the weakness of humanity, and 
the work of God be marred. 

In the estimation of the rabbis, it w T as the sum of religion to be always 
in a bustle of activity. They depended upon some outward performance 
to show their superior piety. Thus they separated their souls from 
God, and built themselves up in self-sufficiency. The same dangers 
still exist. As activity increases, and men become successful in doing 
any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and 

methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith. 

Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence 
on God, and seeking to make a saviour of our activity. We need to 
look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the 
work. While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, 
we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of 
the word of God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and 
sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been 
efficient for good. 

No other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was 
that of Jesus; yet how often He was found in prayer. How constant 
was His communion with God. Again and again in the history of His 
earthly life are found records such as these: “Rising up a great while 
before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there 
prayed.” “Great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by 
Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, 
and prayed.” “And it came to pass in those days that He went out 
into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God .” 2 

In a life wholly devoted to the good of others, the Saviour found 
it necessary to withdraw from the thoroughfares of travel and from the 
J Eph. 4:11-13. 2 Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15, 16; 6:12. 


COME REST AWHILE. 


363 


throng that followed Him day after day. He must turn aside from a 
life of ceaseless activity and contact with human needs, to seek retirement 
and unbroken communion with His Father. As one with us, a sharer 
in our needs and weaknesses, He was wholly dependent upon God, 
and in the secret place of prayer He sought divine strength, that He 
might go forth braced for duty and trial. In a world of sin, Jesus 
endured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with God He 
could unburden the sorrows that were crushing Him. Here He found 
comfort and joy. 

In Christ the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite pity. 
As a man He supplicated the throne of God, till His humanity was 
charged with a heavenly current that should connect humanity with 
divinity. Through continual communion He received life from God, 
that He might impart life to the world. His experience is to be ours. 

“Come ye yourselves apart,” He bids us. If we would give heed to 
His word, we should be stronger and more useful. The disciples sought 
Jesus, and told Him all things; and He encouraged and instructed them. 
If to-day we would take time to go to Jesus and tell Him our needs, 
we should not be disappointed; He would be at our right hand to help 
us. We need more simplicity, more trust and confidence in our Saviour. 
He whose name is called “the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace;” He of whom it is written, “The government shall be 
upon His shoulder,” is the Wonderful Counselor. We are invited to ask 
wisdom of Him. He “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not .” 1 

In all who are under the training of God is to be revealed a life that 
is not in harmony with the world, its customs or its practises; and 
every one needs to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge 
of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the 
heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait 
before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of 
God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God .” 2 Here alone 
can true rest be found. And this is the effectual preparation for all 
labor for God. Amid the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s 
intense activities, the soul that is thus refreshed will be surrounded with 
an atmosphere of light and peace. The life will breathe out fragrance, 
and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts. 

l Isa. 9:6; James 1:5. 2 Ps- 46:10. 



CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE. 



HRIST had retired to a secluded place with His disciples, 
but this rare season of peaceful quietude was soon broken. 
The disciples thought they had retired where they would 
not be disturbed; but as soon as the multitude missed the 
divine Teacher, they inquired, “Where is He?” Some among 
them had noticed the direction in which Christ and His disciples had 
gone. Many went by land to meet them, while others followed in 
their boats across the water. The Passover was at hand, and, from 
far and near, bands of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem gathered to 
see Jesus. Additions were made to their number, until there were 
assembled five thousand men, besides women and children. Before 
Christ reached the shore, a multitude were waiting for Him. But He 
landed unobserved by them, and spent a little time apart with the 
disciples. 

From the hillside He looked upon the moving multitude, and His 
heart was stirred with sympathy. Interrupted as He was, and robbed 
of His rest, He was not impatient. He saw a greater necessity demanding 
His attention as He watched the people coming and still coming. He 
was “moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep 
not having a shepherd.” Leaving His retreat, He found a convenient 
place where He could minister to them. They received no help from 
the priests and rulers; but the healing waters of life flowed from Christ 
as He taught the multitude the way of salvation. 

This chapter is based on Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13. 

(364) 


















GIVE YE THEM TO EAT. 


365 


The people listened to the words of mercy flowing so freely from 
the lips of the Son of God. They heard the gracious words, so simple 
and so plain that they were as the balm of Gilead to their souls. The 
healing of His divine hand brought gladness and life to the dying, and 
ease and health to those suffering with disease. The day seemed to 
them like heaven upon earth, and they were utterly unconscious of how 
long it had been since they had eaten anything. 

At length the day was far spent. The sun was sinking in the 
west, and yet the people lingered. Jesus had labored all day without 
food or rest. He was pale from weariness and hunger, and the disciples 
besought Him to cease from His toil. But He could not withdraw 
Himself from the multitude that pressed upon Him. 

The disciples finally came to Him, urging that for their own sake 
the people should be sent away. Many had come from far, and had 
eaten nothing since morning. In the surrounding towns and villages 
they might be able to buy food. But Jesus said, “Give ye them to 
eat,” and then, turning to Philip, questioned, “Whence shall we buy 
bread, that these may eat?” This He said to test the faith of the 
disciple. Philip looked over the sea of heads, and thought how impossible 
it would be to provide food to satisfy the wants of such a crowd. He 
answered that two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be nearly 
enough to divide among them, so that each might have a little. Jesus 
inquired how much food could be found among the company. “There 
is a lad here,” said Andrew, “which hath five barley loaves, and two 
small fishes; but what are they among so many?” Jesus directed that 
these be brought to Him. Then He bade the disciples seat the people 
on the grass in parties of fifty or a hundred, to preserve order, and that 
all might witness what He was about to do. When this was accomplished, 
Jesus took the food, “and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, 
and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.” 
“And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets 
full of the fragments, and of the fishes.” 

He who taught the people the way to secure peace and happiness 
was just as thoughtful of their temporal necessities as of their spiritual 
need. The people were weary and faint. There were mothers with 
babes in their arms, and little children clinging to their skirts. Many 
had been standing for hours. They had been so intensely interested 
in Christ’s words, that they had not once thought of sitting down, and 
the crowd was so great that there was danger of their trampling on one 
another. Jesus would give them a chance to rest, and He bade them sit 
24 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


366 

down. There was much grass in the place, and all could rest in comfort. 

Christ never worked a miracle except to supply a genuine necessity, 
and every miracle was of a character to lead the people to the tree of 



“There is a lad here, vvnich hath five 
barley loaves and tvVo small fishes.” 
Page 365. 


life, whose leaves are for the healing of the 
nations. The simple food passed round by 
the hands of the disciples contained a whole 
treasure of lessons. It was humble fare that 
had been provided; the fishes and barley 
loaves were the daily food of the fisher folk 
about the Sea of Galilee. Christ could have 
spread before the people a rich repast, but food prepared merely for the 
gratification of appetite would have conveyed no lesson for their good. 
Christ taught them in this lesson that the natural provisions of God for 
man had been perverted. And never did people enjoy the luxurious 







GIVE YE THEM TO EAT. 


367 


feasts prepared for the gratification of perverted taste as this people 
enjoyed the rest and the simple food which Christ provided so far from 
human habitations. 

If men to-day were simple in their habits, living in harmony with 
nature’s laws, as did Adam and Eve in the beginning, there would 
be an abundant supply for the needs of the human family. There 
would be fewer imaginary wants, and more opportunities to work in 
God’s ways. But selfishness and the indulgence of unnatural taste, 
have brought sin and misery into the world, from excess on the one 
hand, and from want on the other. 

Jesus did not seek to attract the people to Him by gratifying the 
desire for luxury. To that great throng, weary and hungry after 
the long, exciting day, the simple fare was an assurance not only of 
His power, but of His tender care for them in the common needs 
of life. The Saviour has not promised His followers the luxuries of 
the world; their fare may be plain, and even scanty; their lot may be 
shut in by poverty; but His word is pledged that their need shall 
be supplied, and He has promised that which is far better than worldly 
good, — the abiding comfort of His own presence. 

In feeding the five thousand, Jesus lifts the veil from the world of 
nature, and reveals the power that is constantly exercised for our good. 
In the production of earth’s harvests, God is working a miracle every 
day. Through natural agencies the same work is accomplished that 
was wrought in the feeding of the multitude. Men prepare the soil 
and sow the seed, but it is the life from God that causes the seed to 
germinate. It is God’s rain and air and sunshine that cause it to put 
forth, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear .” 1 
It is God who is every day feeding millions from earth’s harvest fields. 
Men are called upon to co-operate with God in the care of the grain 
and the preparation of the loaf, and because of this they lose sight of 
the divine agency. They do not give God the glory due unto His holy 
name. The working of His power is ascribed to natural causes or to 
human instrumentality. Man is glorified in place of God, and His 
gracious gifts are perverted to selfish uses, and made a curse instead of 
a blessing. God is seeking to change all this. He desires that our 
dull senses shall be quickened to discern His merciful kindness and to 
glorify Him for the working of His power. He desires us to recognize 
Him in His gifts, that they may be, as He intended, a blessing to us. 
It was to accomplish this purpose that the miracles of Christ were 
performed. 


1 Mark 4: 28. 


3 68 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


After the multitude had been fed, there was an abundance of food 
left. But He who had all the resources of infinite power at His com¬ 
mand said, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” 
These words meant more than putting the bread into the baskets. The 
lesson was twofold. Nothing is to be wasted. We are to let slip no 
temporal advantage. We should neglect nothing that will tend to benefit 
a human being. Let everything be gathered up that will relieve the 
necessity of earth’s hungry ones. And there should be the same careful¬ 
ness in spiritual things. When the baskets of fragments were collected, 
the people thought of their friends at home. They wanted them to 
share in the bread that Christ had blessed. The contents of the baskets 
were distributed among the eager throng, and were carried away into 
all the region round about. So those who were at the feast were to 
give to others the bread that comes down from heaven, to satisfy the 
hunger of the soul. They were to repeat what they had learned of 
the wonderful things of God. Nothing was to be lost. Not one word 
that concerned their eternal salvation was to fall useless to the ground. 

The miracle of the loaves teaches a lesson of dependence upon God. 
When Christ fed the five thousand, the food was not nigh at hand. 
Apparently He had no means at His command. Here He was, with 
five thousand men, besides women and children, in the wilderness. He 
had not invited the large multitude to follow Him; they came without 
invitation or command; but He knew that after they had listened so 
long to His instruction, they would feel hungry and faint; for He was 
one with them in their need of food. They were far from home, and 
the night was close at hand. Many of them were without means to 
purchase food. He who for their sake had fasted forty days in the 
wilderness, would not suffer them to return fasting to their homes. 
The providence of God had placed Jesus where He was; and He 
depended on His Heavenly Father for the means to relieve the necessity 

And when we are brought into strait places, we are to depend on 
God. We are to exercise wisdom and judgment in every action of life, 
that we may not, by reckless movements, place ourselves in trial. We 
are not to plunge into difficulties, neglecting the means God has provided, 
and misusing the faculties He has given us. Christ’s workers are to 
obey His instructions implicitly. The work is God’s, and if we would 
bless others, His plans must be followed. Self cannot be made a center; 
self can receive no honor. If we plan according to our own ideas, the 
Lord will leave us to our own mistakes. But when, after following His 
directions, we are brought into strait places, He will deliver us. We 


GIVE YE THEM TO EAT. 


369 


are not to give up in discouragement, but in every emergency we are to 
seek help from Him who has infinite resources at His command. Often 
we shall be surrounded with trying circumstances, and then, in the 
fullest confidence, we must depend upon God. He will keep every 
soul that is brought into perplexity through trying to keep the way of 
the Lord. 

Christ has bidden us, through the prophet, ’'‘Deal thy bread to the 
hungry,” and “satisfy the afflicted soul;” “when thou seest the naked 
that thou cover him,” and “bring the poor that are cast out to thy 
house .” 1 He has bidden us, “Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the gospel to every creature .” 2 But how often our hearts sink, and 
faith fails us, as we see how great is the need, and how small the 
means in our hands. Like Andrew looking upon the five barley loaves 
and the two little fishes, we exclaim, “What are they among so many?” 
Often we hesitate, unwilling to give all that we have, fearing to spend 
and to be spent for others. But Jesus has bidden us, “Give ye them to 
eat.” His command is a promise; and behind it is the same power 
that fed the multitude beside the sea. 

In Christ’s act of supplying the temporal necessities of a hungry 
multitude, is wrapped up a deep spiritual lesson for all His workers. 
Christ received from the Father; He imparted to the disciples; they 
imparted to the multitude; and the people to one another. So all who 
are united to Christ will receive from Him the bread of life, the heavenly 
food, and impart it to others. 

In full reliance upon God, Jesus took the small store of loaves; and 
although there was but a small portion for His own family of disciples, 
He did not invite them to eat, but began to distribute to them, bidding 
them serve the people. The food multiplied in His hands; and the 
hands of the disciples, reaching out to Christ, Himself the Bread of 
life, were never empty. The little store was sufficient for all. After 
the wants of the people had been supplied, the fragments were gathered 
up, and Christ and His disciples ate together of the precious, Heaven- 
supplied food. 

The disciples were the channel of communication between Christ and 
the people. This should be a great encouragement to His disciples 
to-day. Christ is the great center, the source of all strength. His 
disciples are to receive their supplies from Him. The most intelligent, 
the most spiritually minded, can bestow only as they receive. Of them¬ 
selves they can supply nothing for the needs of the soul. We can 
Hsa. 58:7-10. 2 Mark 16:15. 


370 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


impart only that which we receive from Christ; and we can receive only 
as we impart to others. As we continue imparting, we continue to 
receive; and the more we impart, the more we shall receive. Thus we 
may be constantly believing, trusting, receiving, and imparting. 

The work of building up the kingdom of Christ will go forward, 
though to all appearance it moves slowly, and impossibilities seem to 
testify against advance. The work is of God, and He will furnish means, 
and will send helpers, true, earnest disciples, whose hands also will be 
filled with food for the starving multitude. God is not unmindful of 
those who labor in love to give the word of life to perishing souls, who 
in their turn reach forth their hands for food for other hungry souls. 

In our work for God there is danger of relying too largely upon 
what man with his talents and ability can do. Thus we lose sight of 
the one Master-worker. Too often the worker for Christ fails to realize 
his personal responsibility. He is in danger of shifting his burden upon 
organizations, instead of relying upon Him who is the source of all 
strength. It is a great mistake to trust in human wisdom or numbers 
in the work of God. Successful work for Christ depends not so much 
on numbers or talent as upon pureness of purpose, the true simplicity of 
earnest, dependent faith. Personal responsibilities must be borne, personal 
duties must be taken up, personal efforts must be made for those who do 
not know Christ. In the place of shifting your responsibility upon some 
one whom you think more richly endowed than you are, work according 
to your ability. 

When the question comes home to your heart, “Whence shall we 
buy bread, that these may eat?” let not your answer be the response 
of unbelief. When the disciples heard the Saviour’s direction, “Give ye 
them to eat,” all the difficulties arose in their minds. They questioned, 
Shall we go away into the villages to buy food ? So now, when the 
people are destitute of the bread of life, the Lord’s children question, 
Shall we send for some one from afar, to come and feed them? But 
what said Christ? — “Bid the men sit down,” and He fed them there. 
So when you are surrounded by souls in need, know that Christ is 
there. Commune with Him. Bring your barley loaves to Jesus. 

The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient for the 
work; but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-sufficient 
power of God, abundant resources will open before us. If the work be 
of God, He Himself will provide the means for its accomplishment. He 
will reward honest, simple reliance upon Him. The little that is wisely 
and economically used in the service of the Lord of heaven will increase 


GIVE YE THEM TO EAT. 


371 


in the very act of imparting. In the hand of Christ the small supply of 
food remained undiminished until the famished multitude were satisfied. 
If we go to the Source of all strength, with our hands of faith out¬ 
stretched to receive, we shall be sustained in our work, even under the 
most forbidding circumstances, and shall be enabled to give to others 
the bread of life. 

The Lord says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” “He that 
soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth with 
blessings shall reap also with blessings. . . . And God is able to 

make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency 
in everything, may abound unto every good work; as it is written,— 

“He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; 

His righteousness abideth forever. 

“And He that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply 
and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your right¬ 
eousness; ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which 
worketh through us thanksgiving to God .” 1 

1 Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6-11, R. V., margin. 











































FALLING SHADOWS. 


From the Discourse on the Bread of Life to the Departure 
from Galilee for the Feast of Tabernacles. 



“ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. 
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” John 6:66, 67. 





“All eyes are riveted on this vision 
of a man walking upon the white- 
capped billows.” Page 381. 









CHAPTER FORTY. 

EATED upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring 
evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. 
The words they had heard that day had come to them as the 
voice of God. The works of healing they had witnessed, 
were such as only divine power could perform. But the 
miracle of the loaves appealed to every one in that vast multitude. All 
were sharers in its benefit. In the days of Moses, God had fed Israel 
with manna in the desert; and who was this that had fed them that day, 
but He whom Moses had foretold? No human power could create from 
five barley loaves and two small fishes, food sufficient to feed thousands 
of hungry people. And they said one to another, “This is of a truth 
that prophet that should come into the world.” 

All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act is 
assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. The hopes 
of the people rise higher and higher. This is He who will make Judea 
an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy 
every desire. He can break the power of the hated Romans. He can 
deliver Judah and Jerusalem. He can heal the soldiers who are wounded 
in battle. He can supply whole armies with food. He can conquer the 
nations, and give to Israel the long-sought dominion. 

In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. 
They see that He makes no effort to attract attention or secure honor to 
This chapter is based on Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:14-21. 

( 377 ) 



23 



378 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


Himself. In this He is essentially different from the priests and rulers, 
and they fear that He will never urge His claim to David’s throne. 
Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him 
the king of Israel. The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the 
throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. It is the modesty 
of Christ, they say, that causes Him to refuse such honor. Let the 
people exalt their Deliverer. Let the arrogant priests and rulers be 
forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God. 

They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what 
is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of 
such a movement. Even now the priests and rulers are hunting His life. 
They accuse Him of drawing the people away from them. Violence and 
insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the 
work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. Without delay 
the movement must be checked. Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them 
take the boat, and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss 
the people. 

Never before had a command from Christ seemed so impossible 
of fulfilment. The disciples had long hoped for a popular movement to 
place Jesus on the throne; they could not endure the thought that 
all this enthusiasm should come to nothing. The multitudes that were 
assembling to keep the Passover were anxious to see the new prophet. 
To His followers this seemed the golden opportunity to establish their 
beloved Master on the throne of Israel. In the glow of this new 
ambition it was hard for them to go away by themselves, and leave 
Jesus alone upon that desolate shore. They protested against the 
arrangement; but Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never 
before assumed toward them. They knew that further opposition on 
their part would be useless, and in silence they turned toward the sea. 

Jesus now commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner 
is so decisive that they dare not disobey. The words of praise and 
exaltation die on their lips. In the very act of advancing to seize 
Him, their steps are stayed, and the glad, eager look fades from their 
countenances. In that throng are men of strong mind and firm deter¬ 
mination; but the kingly bearing of Jesus, and His few quiet words of 
command, quell the tumult, and frustrate their designs. They recognize 
in Him a power above all earthly authority, and without a question they 
submit. 

When left alone, Jesus “went up into a mountain apart to pray.” 
For hours He continued pleading with God.- Not for Himself but 



A NIGHT ON THE LAKE. 379 

for men were those prayers. He prayed for power to reveal to men 
the divine character of His mission, that Satan might not blind their 
understanding and pervert their judgment. The Saviour knew that His 
days of personal ministry on earth were nearly ended, and that few 
would receive Him as their Redeemer. In travail and conflict of soul 


“The v^ords of praise and exaltation die on their lips-” 


He prayed for His disciples. They were to be grievously tried. Their 
long-cherished hopes, based on a popular delusion, were to be disap¬ 
pointed in a most painful and humiliating manner. In the place of His 
exaltation to the throne of David, they were to witness His crucifixion. 
This was to be indeed His true coronation. But they did not discern 
this, and in consequence strong temptations would come to them, which 
it would be difficult for them to recognize as temptations. Without 
the Holy Spirit to enlighten the mind and enlarge the comprehension, the 
faith of the disciples would fail. It was painful to Jesus that their con¬ 
ceptions of His kingdom were, to so great a degree, limited to worldly 
aggrandizement and honor. For them the burden was heavy upon His 
heart, and He poured out His supplications with bitter agony and tears. 








380 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The disciples had not put off immediately from the land, as Jesus 
directed them. They waited for a time, hoping that He would come to 
them. But as they saw that darkness was fast gathering, they “entered 
into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.” They had left 
Jesus with dissatisfied hearts, more impatient with Him than ever before 
since acknowledging Him as their Lord. They murmured because they 
had not been permitted to proclaim Him king. They blamed themselves 
for yielding so readily to His command. They reasoned that if they 
had been more persistent, they might have accomplished their purpose. 

Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts. Love of 
honor had blinded them. They knew that Jesus was hated by the 
Pharisees, and they were eager to see Him exalted as they thought 
He should be. To be united with a teacher who could work mighty 
miracles, and yet to be reviled as deceivers, was a trial they could ill 
endure. Were they always to be accounted followers of a false prophet? 
Would Christ never assert His authority as king ? Why did not He 
who possessed such power reveal Himself in His true character, and 
make their way less painful? Why had He not saved John the Baptist 
from a violent death? Thus the disciples reasoned, until they brought 
upon themselves great spiritual darkness. They questioned, Could Jesus 
be an impostor, as the Pharisees asserted ? 

The disciples had that day witnessed the wonderful works of Christ. 
It had seemed that heaven had come down to the earth. The memory 
of that precious, glorious day should have filled them with faith and 
hope. Had they, out of the abundance of their hearts, been conversing 
together in regard to these things, they would not have entered into 
temptation. But their disappointment had absorbed their thoughts. The 
words of Christ, “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost,” were 
unheeded. Those were hours of large blessing to the disciples, but 
they had forgotten it all. They were in the midst of troubled waters. 
Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable, and the Lord gave them 
something else to afflict their souls and occupy their minds. God often does 
this when men create burdens and troubles for themselves. The dis¬ 
ciples had no need to make trouble. Already danger was fast approaching. 

A violent tempest had been stealing upon them, and they were 
unprepared for it. It was a sudden contrast, for the day had been 
perfect; and when the gale struck them, they were afraid. They forgot 
their disaffection, their unbelief, their impatience. Every one worked to 
keep the boat from sinking. It was but a short distance by sea from 
Bethsaida to the point where they expected to meet Jesus, and in 


A NIGHT ON THE LAKE. 


381 

ordinary weather the journey required but a few hours; but now they were 
driven farther and farther from the point they sought. Until the fourth 
watch of the night they toiled at the oars. Then the weary men gave 
themselves up for lost. In storm and darkness the sea had taught them 
their own helplessness, and they longed for the presence of their Master. 

Jesus had not forgotten them. The Watcher on the shore saw those 
fear-stricken men battling with the tempest. Not for a moment did He 
lose sight of His disciples. With deepest solicitude His eyes followed 
the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden; for these men were to 
be the light of the world. As a mother in tender love watches her 
child, so the compassionate Master watched His disciples. When their 
hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and in humility 
they prayed for help, it was given them. 

At the moment when they believe themselves lost, a gleam of light 
reveals a mysterious figure approaching them upon the water. But they 
know not that it is Jesus. The One who has come for their help, they 
count as an enemy. Terror overpowers them. The hands that have 
grasped the oars with muscles like iron, let go their hold. The boat 
rocks at the will of the waves; all eyes are riveted on this vision of a 
man walking upon the white-capped billows of the foaming sea. 

They think it a phantom that omens their destruction, and they cry out 
for fear. Jesus advances as if He would pass them; but they recognize 
Him, and cry out, entreating His help. Their beloved Master turns, His 
voice silences their fear, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” 

As soon as they could credit the wondrous fact, Peter was almost 
beside himself with joy. As if he could scarcely yet believe, he cried 
out, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And 
He said, Come.” 

Looking unto Jesus, Peter walks securely; but as in self-satisfaction 
he glances back toward his companions in the boat, his eyes are turned 
from the Saviour. The wind is boisterous. The waves roll high, and 
come directly between him and the Master; and he is afraid. For a 
moment Christ is hidden from his view, and his faith gives way. He 
begins to sink. But while the billows talk with death, Peter lifts his 
eyes from the angry waters, and fixing them upon Jesus, cries, “Lord, 
save me.” Immediately Jesus grasps the outstretched hand, saying, “O 
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” 

Walking side by side, Peter’s hand in that of his Master, they stepped 
into the boat together. But Peter was now subdued and silent. He 
had no reason to boast over his fellows, for through unbelief and self- 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


382 

exaltation he had very nearly lost his life. When he turned his eyes 
from Jesus, his footing was lost, and he sunk amid the waves. 

When trouble comes upon us, how often we are like Peter. We 
look upon the waves, instead of keeping our eyes fixed upon the Saviour. 
Our footsteps slide, and the proud waters go over our souls. Jesus did 
not bid Peter come to Him that he should perish; He does not call us 
to follow Him, and then forsake us. “Fear not,” He says; “for I have 
redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When 
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the 
rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, 
thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For 
I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour .” 1 

Jesus read the character of His disciples. He knew how' sorely 
their faith was to be tried. In this incident on the sea He desired 
to reveal to Peter his own weakness, — to show that his safety was in 
constant dependence upon divine power. Amid the storms of temptation 
he could walk safely only as in utter self-distrust he should rely upon 
the Saviour. It was on the point where he thought himself strong that 
Peter was weak; and not until he discerned his weakness could he realize 
his need of dependence upon Christ. Had he learned the lesson that 
Jesus sought to teach him in that experience on the sea, he would not 
have failed when the great test came upon him. 

Day by day God instructs His children. By the circumstances of 
the daily life He is preparing them to act their part upon that wider 
stage to which His providence has appointed them. It is the issue of 
the daily test that determines their victory or defeat in life’s great crisis. 

Those who fail to realize their constant dependence upon God, will 
be overcome by temptation. We may now suppose that our feet stand 
secure, and that we shall never be moved. We may say with confidence, 
“I know in whom I have believed; nothing can shake my faith in God 
and in His word.” But Satan is planning to take advantage of our 
hereditary and cultivated traits of character, and to blind our eyes to 
our own necessities and defects. Only through realizing our own weak¬ 
ness, and looking steadfastly unto Jesus, can we walk securely. 

No sooner had Jesus taken His place in the boat than the wind 
ceased, “and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went” 
The night of horror was succeeded by the light of dawn. The disciples, 
and others who also were on board, bowed at the feet of Jesus with 
thankful hearts, saying, “Of a truth Thou art the Son of God!” 

1 Isa. 43:1-3. 



CHAPTER FORTY-ONE. 

EN Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew 
that a turning-point in His history was reached. Multitudes 
who desired to exalt Him to the throne to-day, would turn 
from Him to-morrow. The disappointment of their selfish 
ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise 
Yet knowing this, He took no measures to avert the crisis. 
From the first He had held out to His followers no hope of earthly 
rewards. To one who came desiring to become His disciple He had said, 
“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son 
of man hath not where to lay His head .” 1 If men could have had the 
world with Christ, multitudes would have proffered Him their allegiance; 
but such service He could not accept. Of those now connected with 
Him, there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly 
kingdom. These must be undeceived. The deep spiritual teaching in 
the miracle of the loaves had not been comprehended. This was to be 
made plain. And this new revelation would bring with it a closer test. 

The miracle of the loaves was reported far and near, and very early 
next morning the people flocked to Bethsaida to see Jesus. They came 
in great numbers, by land and sea. Those who had left Him the 
preceding night returned, expecting to find Him still there; for there 
had been no boat by which He could pass to the other side. But their 
search was fruitless, and many repaired to Capernaum, still seeking Him. 

Meanwhile He had arrived at Gennesaret, after an absence of but 
one day. As soon as it was known that He had landed, the people 
This chapter is based on John 6:22-71. 'Matt. 8:20. 

(383) 









f 


384 THE DESIRE OF AGES. 

“ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about 
in beds those that were sick, where they heard He was .” 1 

After a time He went to the synagogue, and there those who had 
come from Bethsaida found Him. They learned from His disciples how 
He had crossed the sea. The fury of the storm, and the many hours 



They “began to carry about in beds those that were sick> where they heard He Was.” 


of fruitless rowing against adverse winds, the appearance of Christ walking 
upon the water, the fears thus aroused, His reassuring words, the adven¬ 
ture of Peter and its result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest and 
landing of the boat, were all faithfully recounted to the wondering crowd. 
Not content with this, however, many gathered about Jesus, questioning, 
“Rabbi, when earnest Thou hither?” They hoped to receive from His 
own lips a further account of the miracle. 

Jesus did not gratify their curiosity. He sadly said, “Ye seek Me, 
not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, 
and were filled.” They did not seek Him from any worthy motive; but 
as they had been fed with the loaves, they hoped still to receive temporal 
benefit by attaching themselves to Him. The Saviour bade them, “Labor 
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto 
everlasting life.” Seek not merely for material benefit. Let it not be 


1 Mark 6: 55. 



THE CRISIS IN GALILEE. 


385 


the chief effort to provide for the life that now is, but seek for spiritual 
food, even that wisdom which will endure unto everlasting life. This 
the Son of God alone can give; “for Him hath God the Father sealed.” 

For the moment the interest of the hearers was awakened. They 
exclaimed, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” 
They had been performing many and burdensome works in order to 
recommend themselves to God; and they were ready to hear of any new 
observance by which they could secure greater merit. Their question 
meant, What shall we do that we may deserve heaven ? What is the 
price we are required to pay in order to obtain the life to come ? 

“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that 
ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” The price of heaven is Jesus. 
The way to heaven is through faith in “the Lamb of God, which taketh 
away the sin of the world .” 1 

But the people did not choose to receive this statement of divine 
truth. Jesus had done the very work which prophecy had foretold that 
the Messiah would do; but they had not witnessed what their selfish 
hopes had pictured as His work. Christ had indeed once fed the multitude 
with barley loaves; but in the days of Moses, Israel had been fed with 
manna forty years, and far greater blessings were expected from the 
Messiah. Their dissatisfied hearts queried - why, if Jesus could perform 
so many wondrous works as they had witnessed, could He not give 
health, strength, and riches to all His people, free them from their 
oppressors, and exalt them to power and honor ? The fact that He 
claimed to be the Sent of God, and yet refused to be Israel’s king, was 
a mystery which they could not fathom. His refusal was misinterpreted. 
Many concluded that He dared not assert His claims because He Himself 
doubted as to the divine character of His mission. Thus they opened 
their hearts to unbelief, and the seed which Satan had sown bore fruit 
of its kind, in misunderstanding and defection. 

Now, half-mockingly, a rabbi questioned, “What sign showest Thou 
then, that we may see, and believe Thee ? What dost Thou work ? Our 
fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread 
from heaven to eat.” 

The Jews honored Moses as the giver of the manna, ascribing praise 
to the instrument, and losing sight of Him by whom the work had been 
accomplished. Their fathers had murmured against Moses, and had 
doubted and denied his divine mission. Now in the same spirit the 
children rejected the One who bore the message of God to themselves. 

1 John 1: 29. 


3 86 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


“Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave 
you not that bread from heaven.” The giver of the manna was standing 
among them. It was Christ Himself who had led the Hebrews through 
the wilderness, and had daily fed them with the bread from heaven. 
That food was a type of the real bread from heaven. The life-giving 
Spirit, flowing from the infinite fulness of God, is the true manna. Jesus 
said, “The bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and 
giveth life unto the world .” 1 

Still thinking that it was temporal food to which Jesus referred, some 
of His hearers exclaimed, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” Jesus 
then spoke plainly: “I am the bread of life.” 

The figure which Christ used was a familiar one to the Jews. Moses, 
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had said, “Man doth not live by 
bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the 
Lord.” And the prophet Jeremiah had written, “Thy words were found, 
and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing 
of mine heart .” 2 The rabbis themselves had a saying, that the eating of 
bread, in its spiritual significance, was the study of the law and the 
practise of good works; and it was often said that at the Messiah’s 
coming, all Israel would be fed. The teaching of the prophets made 
plain the deep spiritual lesson in the miracle of the loaves. This lesson 
Christ was seeking to open to His hearers in the synagogue. Had they 
understood the Scriptures, they would have understood His words when 
He said, “I am the bread of life.” Only the day before, the great 
multitude, when faint and weary, had been fed by the bread which He 
had given. As from that bread they had received physical strength and 
refreshment, so from Christ they might receive spiritual strength unto 
eternal life. “He that cometh to Me,” He said, “shall never hunger; 
and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” But He added, “Ye 
also have seen Me, and believe not.” 

They had seen Christ by the witness of the Holy Spirit, by the 
revelation of God to their souls. The living evidences of His power 
had been before them day after day, yet they asked for still another 
sign. Had this been given, they would have remained as unbelieving as 
before. If they were not convinced by what they had seen and heard, 
it was useless to show them more marvelous works. Unbelief will ever 
find excuse for doubt, and will reason away the most positive proof. 

Again Christ appealed to those stubborn hearts. “Him that cometh 
to Me I will in no wise cast out.” All who received Him in faith, 

1 R. V. J Deut. 8:3; Jer. 15:16. 


THE CRISIS IN GALILEE. 


387 


He said, should have eternal life. Not one could be lost. No need for 
Pharisees and Sadducees to dispute concerning the future life. No longer 
need men mourn in hopeless grief over their dead. “This is the will of 
Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on 
Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise Him up at the last day.” 

But the leaders of the people were offended, “and they said, Is 
not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? 
How is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven?” They tried 
to arouse prejudice by referring scornfully to the lowly origin of Jesus. 
They contemptuously alluded to His life as a Galilean laborer, and to 
His family as being poor and lowly. The claims of this uneducated 
carpenter, they said, were unworthy of their attention. And on account 
of His mysterious birth they insinuated that He was of doubtful parentage, 
thus representing the human circumstances of His birth as a blot upon 
His history. 

Jesus did not attempt to explain the mystery of His birth. He 
made no answer to the questionings in regard to His having come 
down from heaven, as He had made none to the questions concerning 
His crossing the sea. He did not call attention to the miracles that 
marked His life. Voluntarily He had made Himself of no reputation, 
and taken upon Him the form of a servant. But His words and works 
revealed His character. All whose hearts were open to divine illumination 
would recognize in Him “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace 
and truth .” 1 

The prejudice of the Pharisees lay deeper than their questions would 
indicate; it had its root in the perversity of their hearts. Every word 
and act of Jesus aroused antagonism in them; for the spirit which they 
cherished could find in Him no answering chord. 

“No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me 
draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the 
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore 
that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.” 
None will ever come to Christ, save those who respond to the drawing 
of the Father’s love. But God is drawing all hearts unto Him, and 
only those who resist His drawing will refuse to come to Christ. 

In the words, “They shall be all taught of God,” Jesus referred to 
the prophecy of Isaiah: “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; 
and great shall be the peace of thy children .” 2 This scripture the 
Jews appropriated to themselves. It was their boast that God was their 
'John 1:14. 2 Isa. 54:13. 


3 88 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


teacher. But Jesus showed how vain is this claim; for He said, “Every 
man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh 
unto Me.” Only through Christ could they receive a knowledge of the 
Father. Humanity could not endure the vision of His glory. Those 
who had learned of God had been listening to the voice of His Son, 
and in Jesus of Nazareth they would recognize Him who through 
nature and revelation has declared the Father. 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath 
everlasting life.” Through the beloved John, who listened to these 
words, the Holy Spirit declared to the churches, “This is the record, 
that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 
He that hath the Son hath life .” 1 And Jesus said, “I will raise him 
up at the last day.” Christ became one flesh with us, in order that 
we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union 
that we are to come forth from the grave, — not merely as a manifestation 
of the power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life has become 
ours. Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him 
into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ 
dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, 
is the beginning of the life eternal. 

The people had referred Christ to the manna which their fathers ate 
in the wilderness, as if the furnishing of that food was a greater miracle 
than Jesus had performed; but He shows how meager was that gift 
when compared with the blessings He had come to bestow. The manna 
could sustain only this earthly existence; it did not prevent the approach 
of death, nor insure immortality; but the bread of heaven would nourish 
the soul unto everlasting life. The Saviour said, “I am that bread of 
life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This 
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, 
and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if 
any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.” To this figure Christ 
now adds another. Only through dying could He impart life to men, 
and in the words that follow He points to His death as the means of 
salvation. He says, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which 
I will give for the life of the world.” 

The Jews were about to celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem, in 
commemoration of the night of Israel’s deliverance, when the destroying 
angel smote the homes of Egypt. In the paschal lamb God desired 
them to behold the Lamb of God, and through the symbol receive Him 

1 r John 5 : ii, 12. 


THE CRISIS IN GALILEE. 


389 


who gave Himself for the life of the world. But the Jews had come 
to make the symbol all-important, while its significance was unnoticed. 
They discerned not the Lord’s body. The same truth that was symbolized 
in the paschal service, was taught in the words of Christ. But it was 
still undiscerned. 

Now the rabbis exclaimed angrily, “How can this man give us His 
flesh to eat?” They affected to understand His words in the same literal 
sense as did Nicodemus when he asked, “How can a man be born when 
he is old ?” 1 To some extent they comprehended the meaning of Jesus, 
but they were not willing to acknowledge it. By misconstruing His 
words, they hoped to prejudice the people against Him. 

Christ did not soften down His symbolical representation. He 
reiterated the truth in yet stronger language: “Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, 
ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My 
blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For 
My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that 
eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.” 

To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as 
a personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are 
complete in Him. It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by 
drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What 
food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul. Food cannot benefit 
us unless we eat it; unless it becomes a part of our being. So Christ is 
of no value to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour. A 
theoretical knowledge will do us no good. We must feed upon Him, 
receive Him into the heart, so that His life becomes our life. His love, 
His grace, must be assimilated. 

But even these figures fail to present the privilege of the believer’s 
relation to Christ. Jesus said, “As the living Father hath sent Me, and 
I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” 
As the Son of God lived by faith in the Father, so are we to live by faith 
in Christ. So fully was Jesus surrendered to the will of God that the 
Father alone appeared in His life. Although tempted in all points like 
as we are, He stood before the world untainted by the evil that surrounded 
Him. Thus we also are to overcome as Christ overcame. 

Are you a follower of Christ ? Then all that is written concerning 
the spiritual life is written for you, and may be attained through uniting 
yourself to Jesus. Is your zeal languishing? has your first love grown 

1 John 3:4. 


390 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


cold? Accept again of the proffered love of Christ. Eat of His flesh, 
drink of His blood, and you will become one with the Father and with 
the Son. 

The unbelieving Jews refused to see any except the most literal 
meaning in the Saviour’s words. By the ritual law they were forbidden 
to taste blood, and they now construed Christ’s language into a sacrile¬ 
gious speech, and disputed over it among themselves. Many even of the 
disciples said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” 

The Saviour answered them: “Doth this offend you? What and if 
ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was'before? It is the 
spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak 
unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” 

The life of Christ, that gives life to the world, is in His word. It was 
by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word 
He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that 
His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had 
spoken through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. 
The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ, and the Saviour desired to 
fix the faith of His followers on the word. When His visible presence 
should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power. Like 
their Master, they were to live “by every word that proceedeth out of 
the mouth of God .” 1 

As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is 
sustained by the word of God. And every soul is to receive life from 
God’s word for himself. As we must eat for ourselves in order to receive 
nourishment, so we must receive the word for ourselves. We are not to 
obtain it merely through the medium of another’s mind. We should 
carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that 
we may understand His word. We should take one verse, and concentrate 
the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in 
that verse for us. We should dwell upon the thought until it becomes 
our own, and we know “what saith the Lord.” 

In His promises and warnings, Jesus means me. God so loved the 
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that / by believing in Him, 
might not perish, but have everlasting life. The experiences related in 
God’s word are to be my experiences. Prayer and promise, precept and 
warning, are mine. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet 
not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh 
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself 

1 Matt. 4 : 4. 


THE CRISIS IN GALILEE. 


391 


for me .” 1 As faith thus receives and assimilates the principles of truth, 
they become a part of the being, and the motive power of the life. The 
word of God, received into the soul, moulds the thoughts, and enters 
into the development of character. 

By looking constantly to Jesus with the eye of faith, we shall be 
strengthened. God will make the most precious revelations to His 
hungering, thirsting people. They will find that Christ is a personal 
Saviour. As they feed upon His word, they find that it is spirit and life. 
The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in 
Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By 
the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced 
in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of 
hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. This is what it means 
to live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” This 
is eating the Bread that comes down from heaven. 

Christ had spoken a sacred, eternal truth regarding the relation 
between Himself and His followers. He knew the character of those 
who claimed to be His disciples, and His words tested their faith. He 
declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who 
received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His 
character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. 
It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. They were 
called to become self-sacrificing, meek and lowly in heart. They must 
walk in the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary, if they would 
share in the gift of life and the glory of heaven. 

The test was too great. The enthusiasm of those who had sought 
to take Him by force and make Him king grew cold. This discourse in 
the synagogue, they declared, had opened their eyes. Now they were 
undeceived. In their minds His words were a direct confession that He 
was not the Messiah, and that no earthly rewards were to be realized 
from connection with Him. They had welcomed His miracle-working 
power; they were eager to be freed from disease and suffering; but 
they would not come into sympathy with His self-sacrificing life. They 
cared not for the mysterious spiritual kingdom of which He spoke. The 
insincere, the selfish, who had sought Him, no longer desired Him. If 
He would not devote His power and influence to obtaining their freedom 
from the Romans, they would have nothing to do with Him. 

Jesus told them plainly, “There are some of you that believe not;” 
adding, “Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, 

1 Gal. 2 : 20. 


392 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


except it were given unto him of My Father.” He wished them to 
understand that if they were not drawn to Him, it was because their 
hearts were not open to the Holy Spirit. “The natural man receiveth 
not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: 
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned .” 1 It 
is by faith that the soul beholds the glory of Jesus. This glory is 
hidden, until, through the Holy Spirit, faith is kindled in the soul. 

By the public rebuke of their unbelief these disciples were still further 
alienated from Jesus. They were greatly displeased, and wishing to 
wound the Saviour, and gratify the malice of the Pharisees, they turned 
their backs upon Him, and left Him with disdain. They had made their 
choice,— had taken the form without the spirit, the husk without the 
kernel. Their decision was never afterward reversed; for they walked 
no more with Jesus. 

“Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His 
floor, and gather His wheat into the garner .”' 2 This was one of the 
times of purging. By the words of truth, the chaff was being separated 
from the wheat. Because they were too vain and self-righteous to 
receive reproof, too world-loving to accept a life of humility, many 
turned away from Jesus. Many are still doing the same thing. Souls 
are tested to-day as were those disciples in the synagogue at Capernaum. 
When truth is brought home to the heart, they see that their lives are 
not in accordance with the will of God. They see the need of an 
entire change in themselves; but they are not willing to take up the 
self-denying work. Therefore they are angry when their sins are discov¬ 
ered. They go away offended, even as the disciples left Jesus, murmuring, 
“This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” 

Praise and flattery would be pleasing to their ears; but the truth is 
unwelcome; they cannot hear it. When the crowds follow, and the 
multitudes are fed, and the shouts of triumph are heard, their voices 
are loud in praise; but when the searching of God’s Spirit reveals their 
sin, and bids them leave it, they turn their backs upon the truth, and 
walk no more with Jesus. 

As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different 
spirit took control of them. They could see nothing attractive in Him 
whom they had once found so interesting. They sought out His 
enemies, for they were in harmony with their spirit and work. They 
misinterpreted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His 
motives. They sustained their course by gathering up every item that 
1 1 Cor. 2:14. 2 Matt. 3:12. 


THE CRISIS IN GALILEE. 


393 


could be turned against Him; and such indignation was stirred up by 
these false reports that His life was in danger. 

The news spread swiftly, that by His own confession, Jesus of Nazareth 
was not the Messiah. And thus in Galilee the current of popular feeling 
was turned against Him, as, the year before, it had been in Judea. Alas 
for Israel! They rejected their Saviour, because they longed for a 
conqueror who would give them temporal power. They wanted the 
meat which perishes, and not that which endures unto everlasting life. 

With a yearning heart, Jesus saw those who had been His disciples 
departing from Him, the Life and the Light of men. The conscious¬ 
ness that His compassion was unappreciated, His love unrequited, His 
mercy slighted, His salvation rejected, filled Him with sorrow that was 
inexpressible. It was such developments as these that made Him a 
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. 

Without attempting to hinder those who were leaving Him, Jesus 
turned to the twelve and said, “Will ye also ,go away?” 

Peter replied by asking, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” '“Thou 
hast the words of eternal life,” he added. “And we believe and are 
sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

“To whom shall we go?” The teachers of Israel were slaves to 
formalism. The Pharisees and Sadducees were in constant contention. 
To leave Jesus was to fall among sticklers for rites and ceremonies, and 
ambitious men who sought their own glory. The disciples had found 
more peace and joy since they had accepted Christ than in all their 
previous lives. How could they go back to those who had scorned 
and persecuted the Friend of sinners? They had long been looking for 
the Messiah; now He had come, and they could not turn from His 
presence to those who were hunting His life, and had persecuted them 
for becoming His followers. 

“To whom shall we go?” Not from the teaching of Christ, His 
lessons of love and mercy, to the darkness of unbelief, the wickedness 
of the world. While the Saviour was forsaken by many who had 
witnessed His wonderful works, Peter expressed the faith of the disci¬ 
ples,— “Thou art that Christ.” The very thought of losing this anchor 
of their souls filled them with fear and pain. To be destitute of a 
Saviour, was to be adrift on a dark and stormy sea. 

Many of the words and acts of Jesus appear mysterious to finite 
minds, but every word and act had its definite purpose in the work for 
our redemption; each was calculated to produce its own result. If we 
were capable of understanding His purposes, all would appear important, 
complete, and in harmony with His mission. 

24 


394 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


While we cannot now comprehend the works and ways of God, we 
can discern His great love, which underlies all His dealings with men. 
He who lives near to Jesus will understand much of the mystery of 
godliness. He will recognize the mercy that administers reproof, that 
tests the character, and brings to light the purpose of the heart. 

When Jesus presented the testing truth that caused so many of His 
disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His words; 
but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfil. He foresaw that in the hour 
of temptation every one of His beloved disciples would be severely tested. 
His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be to 
them a most trying ordeal. Had no previous test been given, many 
who were actuated by merely selfish motives would have been connected 
with them. When their Lord was condemned in the judgment-hall; when 
the multitude who had hailed Him as their king hissed at Him and reviled 
Him; when the jeering crowd cried, “Crucify Him !” — when their worldly 
ambitions were disappointed, these self-seeking ones would, by renouncing 
their allegiance to Jesus, have brought upon the disciples a bitter, heart- 
burdening sorrow, in addition to their grief and disappointment in the 
ruin of their fondest hopes. In that hour of darkness, the example of 
those who turned from Him might have carried others with them. But 
Jesus brought about this crisis while by His personal presence He could 
still strengthen the faith of His true followers. 

Compassionate Redeemer, who in the full knowledge of the doom 
that awaited Him, tenderly smoothed the way for the disciples, prepared 
them for their crowning trial, and strengthened them for the final test. 




CHAPTER FORTY-TWO. 

HE scribes and Pharisees, expecting to see Jesus at the Passover, 
had laid a trap for Him. But Jesus, knowing their purpose, 
•had absented Himself from this gathering. “Then came 
together unto Him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes.” 
As He did not go to them, they came to Him. For a time 
it had seemed that the people of Galilee would receive Jesus as the 
Messiah, and that the power of the hierarchy in that region would be 
broken. The mission of the twelve, indicating the extension of Christ’s 
work, and bringing the disciples more directly into conflict with the rabbis, 
had excited anew the jealousy of the leaders at Jerusalem. The spies 
they sent to Capernaum in the early part of His ministry, who had tried 
to fix on Him the charge of Sabbath-breaking, had been put to confusion; 
but the rabbis were bent on carrying out their purpose. Now another 
deputation was sent to watch His movements, and find some accusation 
against Him. 

As before, the ground of complaint was His disregard of the tradi¬ 
tional precepts that encumbered the law of God. These were professedly 
designed to guard the observance of the law, but they were regarded as 
more sacred than the law itself. When they came in collision with the 
commandments given from Sinai, preference was given to the rabbinical 
precepts. 

Among the observances most strenuously enforced, was that of cere¬ 
monial purification. A neglect of the forms to be observed before eating, 
was accounted a heinous sin, to be punished both in this world and in 
the next; and it was regarded as a virtue to destroy the transgressor. 

This chapter is based on Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7 :1-23. 

( 395 ) 















396 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The rules in regard to purification were numberless. The period of 
a lifetime was scarcely sufficient for one to learn them all. The life 
of those who tried to observe the rabbinical requirements was one long 
struggle against ceremonial defilement, an endless round of washings and 
purifications. While the people were occupied with trifling distinctions, 
and observances which God had not required, their attention was turned 
away from the great principles of His law. 

Christ and His disciples did not observe these ceremonial washings, 
and the spies made this neglect the ground of their accusation. They 
did not, however, make a direct attack on Christ, but came to Him with 
criticism of His disciples. In the presence of the multitude they said, 
“Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they 
wash not their hands when they eat bread.” 

Whenever the message of truth comes home to souls with special 
power, Satan stirs up his agents to start a dispute over some minor 
question. Thus he seeks to attract attention from the real issue. When¬ 
ever a good work is begun, there are cavilers ready to enter ihto dispute 
over forms or technicalities, to draw minds away from the living realities. 
When it appears that God is about to work in a special manner for His 
people, let them not be enticed into a controversy that will work only 
ruin of souls. The questions that most concern us are, Do I believe 
with saving faith on the Son of God ? Is my life in harmony with the 
divine law? “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he 
that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” “And hereby we do 
know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments .” 1 

Jesus made no attempt to defend Himself or His disciples. He made 
no reference to the charges against Him, but proceeded to show the spirit 
that actuated these sticklers for human rites. He gave them an example 
of what they were repeatedly doing, and had done just before coming in 
search of Him. “Full well ye reject the commandment of God,” He 
said, “that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor 
thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him 
die the death. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, 
It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited 
by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do aught for 
his father or his mother.” They set aside the fifth commandment as of 
no consequence, but were very exact in carrying out the traditions of the 
elders. They taught the people that the devotion of their property to 
the temple was a duty more sacred than even the support of their parents; 

Hohn 3:36; 1 John 2:3. 


TRADITION. 


397 


and that, however great the necessity, it was sacrilege to impart to father 
or mother any part of what had been thus consecrated. An undutiful 
child had only to pronounce the word “Corban” over his property, thus 
devoting it to God, and he could retain it for his own use during his 
lifetime, and after his death it was to be appropriated to the temple 
service. Thus he was at liberty, both in life and in death, to dishonor 
and defraud his parents, under cover of a pretended devotion to God. 

Never, by word or deed, did Jesus lessen man’s obligation to present 
gifts and offerings to God. It was Christ who gave all the directions 
of the law in regard to tithes and offerings. When on earth He 
commended the poor woman who gave her all to the temple treasury. 
But the apparent zeal for God on the part of the priests and rabbis was 
a pretense to cover their desire for self-aggrandizement. The people 
were deceived by them. They were bearing heavy burdens which God 
had not imposed. Even the disciples of Christ were not wholly free 
from the yoke that had been bound upon them by inherited prejudice 
and rabbinical authority. Now, by revealing the true spirit of the rabbis, 
Jesus sought to free from the bondage of tradition all who were really 
desirous of serving God. 

“Ye hypocrites,” He said, addressing the wily spies, “well did 
Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto Me with 
their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far 
from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the 
commandments of men.” The words of Christ were an arraignment 
of the whole system of Pharisaism. He declared that by placing their 
requirements above the divine precepts, the rabbis were setting themselves 
above God. 

The deputies from Jerusalem were filled with rage. They could not 
accuse Christ as a violator of the law given from Sinai, for He spoke 
as its defender against their traditions. The great precepts of the law, 
which He had presented, appeared in striking contrast to the petty rules 
that men had devised. 

To the multitude, and afterward more fully to His disciples, Jesus 
explained that defilement comes not from without, but from within. 
Purity and impurity pertain to the soul. It is the evil deed, the evil 
word, the evil thought, the transgression of the law of God, not the 
neglect of external, man-made ceremonies, that defiles a man. 

The disciples noted the rage of the spies as their false teaching was 
exposed. They saw the angry looks, and heard the half-muttered words 
of dissatisfaction and revenge. Forgetting how often Christ had given 


398 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


evidence that He read the heart as an. open book, they told Him of 
the effect of His words. Hoping that He might conciliate the enraged 
officials, they said to Jesus, “Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were 
offended, after they heard this saying?” 

He answered, “Every plant, which My Heavenly Father hath not 
planted, shall be rooted up.” The customs and traditions so highly 
valued by the rabbis, were of this world, not from heaven. However 
great their authority with the people, they could not endure the testing 
of God. Every human invention that has been substituted for the 
commandments of God, will be found worthless in that day when “God 
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether 
it be good, or whether it be evil .” 1 

The substitution of the precepts of men for the commandments of 
God has not ceased. Even among Christians are found institutions and 
usages that have no better foundation than the traditions of the Fathers. 
Such institutions, resting upon mere human authority, have supplanted 
those of divine appointment. Men cling to their traditions, and revere 
their customs, and cherish hatred against those who seek to show 
them their error. In this day, when we are bidden to call attention 
to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, we see the same 
enmity as was manifested in the days of Christ. Of the remnant people 
of God it is written, “The dragon was wroth with the woman, and 
went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the com¬ 
mandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ .” 2 

But “every plant which My Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall 
be rooted up.” In place of the authority of the so-called Fathers of the 
church, God bids us accept the word of the eternal Father, the Lord 
of heaven and earth. Here alone is truth unmixed with error. David 
said, “I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Thy testimo¬ 
nies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I 
keep Thy precepts .” 3 Let all who accept human authority, the customs 
of the church, or the traditions of the Fathers, take heed to the warning 
conveyed in the words of Christ, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching 
for doctrines the commandments of men.” 

1 Eccl. 12:14. 2 Rev. 12:17. 3 Ps. 119: 99, 100. 



CHAPTER FORTY-THREE. 



jp]FTER the encounter with the Pharisees, Jesus withdrew from 
Capernaum, and crossing Galilee, repaired to the hill country 
on the borders of Phenicia. Looking westward, He could 
see, spread out upon the plain below, the ancient cities of 
Tyre and Sidon, with their heathen temples, their magnificent 
palaces and marts of trade, and the harbors filled with shipping. Beyond 
was the blue expanse of the Mediterranean, over which the messengers 
of the gospel were to bear its glad tidings to the centers of the world’s 
great empire. But the time was not yet. The work before Him now 
was to prepare His disciples for their mission. In coming to this region 
He hoped to find the retirement He had failed to secure at Bethsaida. 
Yet this was not His only purpose in taking this journey. 

“Behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and 
cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my 
daughter is grievously vexed with a devil .” 1 The people of this district 
were of the old Canaanite race. They were idolaters, and were despised 
and hated by the Jews. To this class belonged the woman who now- 
came to Jesus. She was a heathen, and was therefore excluded from 
the advantages which the Jews daily enjoyed. There were many Jews 
living among the Phenicians, and the tidings of Christ’s work had pene¬ 
trated to this region. Some of the people had listened to His words 
and had witnessed His wonderful works. This woman had heard of the 
prophet, who, it was reported, healed all manner of diseases. As she 
heard of His power, hope sprung up in her heart. Inspired by a 
This chapter is based on Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-36. 1 R. V. 


( 399) 









400 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


mother’s love, she determined to present her daughter’s case to Him. 
It was her resolute purpose to bring her affliction to Jesus. He must 
heal her child. She had sought help from the heathen gods, but had 
obtained no relief. And at times she was tempted to think, What can 
this Jewish teacher do for me? But the word had come, He heals all 
manner of diseases, whether those who come to Him for help are rich 
or poor. She determined not to lose her only hope. 

Christ knew this woman’s situation. He knew that she was longing 
to see Him, and He placed Himself in her path. By ministering to 
her sorrow, He could give a living representation of the lesson He 
designed to teach. For this He had brought His disciples into this 
region. He desired them to see the ignorance existing in cities and 
villages close to the land of Israel. The people who had been given 
every opportunity to understand the truth, were without a knowledge 
of the needs of those around them. No effort was made to help souls 
in darkness. The partition wall which Jewish pride had erected, shut 
even the disciples from sympathy with the heathen world. But these 
barriers were to be broken down. 

Christ did not immediately reply to the woman's request. He received 
this representative of a despised race as the Jews would have done. In 
this He designed that His disciples should be impressed with the cold and 
heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced 
by His reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which 
He would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by His 
subsequent granting of her petition. 

But although Jesus did not reply, the woman did not lose faith. As 
He passed on, as if not hearing her, she followed Him, continuing her 
supplications. Annoyed by her importunities, the disciples asked Jesus 
to send her away. They saw that their Master treated her with indiffer¬ 
ence, and they therefore supposed that the prejudice of the Jews against 
the Canaanites was pleasing to Him. But it was a pitying Saviour to 
whom the woman made her plea, and in answer to the request of the 
disciples, Jesus said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house 
of Israel.” Although this answer appeared to be in accordance with the 
prejudice of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the disciples, which 
they afterward understood as reminding them of what He had often told 
them, — that He came to the world to save all who would accept Him. 

The woman urged her case with increased earnestness, bowing at 
Christ’s feet, and crying, “Lord, help me.” Jesus, still apparently 
rejecting her entreaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of the Jews, 


BARRIERS BROKEN DOWN. 


401 


answered, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to 



dogs.’’ This was virtually asserting that it was not just to lavish the 
blessings brought to the favored people of God upon strangers and aliens 
from Israel. This answer would have utterly discouraged a less earnest 
seeker. But the woman saw that her opportunity had come. Beneath 
the apparent refusal of Jesus, she saw a compassion that He could not 
hide. “Truth, Lord,” she answered; “yet the dogs eat of the crumbs 
which fall from their 
master’s table.” While 
the children of the 
household eat at the 
father’s table, even the 
dogs are not left unfed. 

They have a right to 
the crumbs that fall 
from the table abun¬ 
dantly supplied. So 
while there were many 
blessings given to Israel, 
was there not also a 
blessing for her? She 
was looked upon as a 
dog, and had she not 
then a dog’s claim to a 

crumb from His bounty? 

. Bowing at Christ’s feet, and crying, ‘Lord, 

Jesus had just de- help me.’” 

parted from His field of 

labor because the scribes and Pharisees were seeking to take His life. 
They murmured and complained. They manifested unbelief and bitter¬ 
ness, and refused the salvation so freely offered them. Here Christ 
meets one of an unfortunate and despised race, that has not been favored 
with the light of God’s word; yet she yields at once to the divine 
influence of Christ, and has implicit faith in His ability to grant the favor 
she asks. She begs for the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table. 
If she may have the privilege of a dog, she is willing to be regarded as 
a dog. She has no national or religious prejudice or pride to influence 
her course, and she immediately acknowledges Jesus as the Redeemer, 
and as being able to do all that she asks of Him. 

The Saviour is satisfied. He has tested her faith in Him. By His 
dealings with her, He has shown that she who has been regarded as an 


402 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


outcast from Israel, is no longer an alien, but a child in God’s household. 
As a child it is her privilege to share in the Father’s gifts. Christ now 
grants her request, and finishes the lesson to the disciples. Turning to 
her with a look of pity and love, He says, “O woman, great is thy faith. 
Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.” From that hour her daughter 
became whole. The demon troubled her no more. The woman departed, 
acknowledging her Saviour, and happy in the granting of her prayer. 

This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought while on this journey. 
It was for the performance of this act that He went to the borders of 
Tyre and Sidon. He wished to relieve the afflicted woman, and at the 
same time to leave an example in His work of mercy toward one of a 
despised people, for the benefit of His disciples when He should no 
longer be with them. He wished to lead them from their Jewish exclu¬ 
siveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people. 

Jesus longed to unfold the deep mysteries of the truth which had 
been hid for ages, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews, 
and “partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel .” 1 This truth the 
disciples were slow to learn, and the divine Teacher gave them lesson 
upon lesson. In rewarding the faith of the centurion at Capernaum, and 
preaching the gospel to the inhabitants of Sychar, He had already given 
evidence that He did not share the intolerance of the Jews. But the 
Samaritans had some knowledge of God; and the centurion had shown 
kindness to Israel. Now Jesus brought the disciples in contact with a 
heathen, whom they regarded as having no reason above any of her 
people, to expect favor from Him. He would give an example of how 
such a one should be treated. The disciples had thought that He 
dispensed too freely the gifts of His grace. He would show that His 
love was not to be circumscribed to race or nation. 

When He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house 
of Israel,” He stated the truth, and in His work for the Canaanite woman 
He was fulfilling His commission. This woman was one of the lost 
sheep that Israel should have rescued. It was their appointed work, the 
work which they had neglected, that Christ was doing. 

This act opened the minds of the disciples more fully to the labor 
that lay before them among the Gentiles. They saw a wide field of 
usefulness outside of Judea. They saw souls bearing sorrows unknown 
to those more highly favored. Among those whom they had been 
taught to despise were souls longing for help from the mighty Healer, 
hungering for the light of truth, which had been so abundantly given 
to the Jews. 


1 Eph. 3:6. 


BARRIERS BROKEN DOWN. 


403 


Afterward, when the Jews turned still more persistently from the 
disciples, because they declared Jesus to be the Saviour of the world, 
and when the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down 
by the death of Christ, this lesson, and similar ones which pointed to 
the gospel work unrestricted by custom or nationality, had a powerful 
influence upon the representatives of Christ, in directing their labors. 

The Saviour’s visit to Phenicia and the miracle there performed, had 
a yet wider purpose. Not alone for the afflicted woman, nor even for His 
disciples and those who received their labors, was the work accomplished; 
but also “that; ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; 
and that believing ye might have life through His name .” 1 The same 
agencies that barred men away from Christ eighteen hundred years ago, 
are at work to-day. The spirit which built up the partition wall between 
Jew and Gentile is still active. Pride and prejudice have built strong walls 
of separation between different classes of men. Christ and His mission 
have been misrepresented, and multitudes feel that they are virtually shut 
away from the ministry of the gospel. But let them not feel that they 
are shut away from Christ. There are no barriers which man or Satan 
can erect but that faith can penetrate. 

In faith the woman of Phenicia flung herself against the barriers that 
had been piled up between Jew and Gentile. Against discouragement, 
regardless of appearances that might have led her to doubt, she trusted 
the Saviour’s love. It is thus that Christ desires us to trust in Him. 
The blessings of salvation are for every soul. Nothing but his own 
choice can prevent any man from becoming a partaker of the promise 
in Christ by the gospel. 

Caste is hateful to God. He ignores everything of this character. 
In His sight the souls of all men are of equal value. He “hath made 
of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, 
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their 
habitation; that they should seek the Lord; if haply they might feel 
after Him and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.” 
Without distinction of age, or rank, or nationality, or religious privilege, 
all are invited to come unto Him and live. “Whosoever believeth on 
Him shall not be ashamed; for there is no difference.” “There is 
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free.” “The rich and 
poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” “The same 
Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall 
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved .” 2 

Hohn 20:31. 2 Acts 17:26,27; Gal. 3:28; Prov. 22:2; Rom. 10:11-13. 



CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR. 

AIN He went out from the borders of Tyre, and came 
through Sidon unto the Sea of Galilee through the midst 
of the borders of Decapolis .” 1 

It was in the region of Decapolis that the demoniacs 
of Gergesa had been healed. Here the people, alarmed at 
the destruction of the swine, had constrained Jesus to depart from among 
them. But they had listened to the messengers He left behind, and a 
desire was aroused to see Him. As He came again into that region, 
a crowd gathered about Him, and a deaf, stammering man was brought 
to Him. Jesus did not, according to His custom, restore the man by a 
word only. Taking him apart from the multitude, He put His fingers in 
his ears, and touched his tongue; looking up to heaven, He sighed at 
thought of the ears that would not be open to the truth, the tongues 
that refused to acknowledge the Redeemer. At the word, “Be open,” 
the man’s speech was restored, and, disregarding the command to tell no 
man, he published abroad the story of his cure. 

Jesus went up into a mountain, and there the multitude flocked to 
Him, bringing their sick and lame, and laying them at His feet. He 
healed them all; and the people, heathen as they were, glorified the God 
of Israel. For three days they continued to throng about the Saviour, 
sleeping at night in the open air, and through the day pressing eagerly 
to hear the words of Christ, and to see His works. At the end of three 
days their food was spent. Jesus would not send them away hungry, 
and He called upon His disciples to give them food. Again the disciples 
This chapter is based on Matt. 15:29-39; 16:1-12; Mark 7:31-37; 8:1-21. 

( 404 ) 1 R. V. 












THE TRUE SIGN. 


405 


revealed their unbelief. At Bethsaida they had seen how, with Christ’s 
blessing, their little store availed for the feeding of the multitude; yet 
they did not now bring forward their all, trusting His power to multiply 
it for the hungry crowds. Moreover, those whom He fed at Bethsaida 
were Jews; these were Gentiles and heathen. Jewish prejudice was still 
strong in the hearts of the disciples, and they answered Jesus, “Whence 
can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” But 
obedient to His word they brought Him what they had, — seven loaves 
and two fishes. The multitude were fed, seven large baskets of fragments 
remaining. Four thousand men, besides women and children, were thus 
refreshed, and Jesus sent them away with glad and grateful hearts. 

Then taking a boat with His disciples He crossed the lake to Magdala, 
at the southern end of the plain of Gennesaret. In the border of Tyre 
and Sidon His spirit had been refreshed by the confiding trust of the 
Syro-Phenician woman. The heathen people of Decapolis had received 
Him with gladness. Now as He landed once more in Galilee, where 
His power had been most strikingly manifested, where most of His works 
of mercy had been performed, and His teaching given, He was met with 
contemptuous unbelief. 

A deputation of Pharisees had 
been joined by representatives from 
the rich and lordly Sadducees, the 
party of the priests, the skeptics and 
aristocracy of the nation. The two 
sects had been at bitter enmity. 

The Sadducees courted the favor 
of the ruling power, in order to 
maintain their own position and au¬ 
thority. The Pharisees, on the 
other hand, fostered the popular 
hatred against the Romans, long¬ 
ing for the time when they could 
throw off the yoke of the con¬ 
queror. But Pharisee and Sad- 
ducee now united against Christ. 

Like seeks like; and evil, wherever 
it exists, leagues with evil for the 
destruction of the good. 

Now the Pharisees and Saddu¬ 
cees came to Christ, asking for a 



"Taking Kim apart from the multi¬ 
tude, He put His fingers in his ears, and 
touched his tongue.” 



406 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


sign from heaven. When in the days of Joshua, Israel went out to battle 
with the Canaanites at Bethhoron, the sun had stood still at the leader’s 
command until victory was gained; and many similar wonders had been 
manifest in their history. Some such sign was demanded of Jesus. 
But these signs were not what the Jews needed. No mere external 
evidence could benefit them. What they needed was not intellectual 
enlightenment, but spiritual renovation. 

“O ye hypocrites,” said Jesus, “ye can discern the face of the 
sky,” — by studying the sky they could foretell the weather,— “but 
can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Christ’s own words, 
spoken with the power of the Holy Spirit that convicted them of sin, 
were the sign that God had given for their salvation. And signs direct 
from heaven had been given to attest the mission of Christ. The 
song of the angels to the shepherds, the star that guided the wise 
men, the dove and the voice from heaven at His baptism, were witnesses 
for Him. 

“And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this gener¬ 
ation seek after a sign?” “There shall no sign be given unto it, but 
the sign of the prophet Jonas.” As Jonah was three days and three 
nights in the belly of the whale, Christ was to be the same time “in 
the heart of the earth .” 1 And as the preaching of Jonah was a sign 
to the Ninevites, so Christ’s preaching was a sign to His generation. 
But what a contrast in the reception of the word. The people of the 
great heathen city trembled as they heard the warning from God. Kings 
and nobles humbled themselves; the high and the lowly together cried 
to the God of heaven, and His mercy was granted unto them. “The 
men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation,” Christ had 
said, “and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of 
Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here .” 1 

Every miracle that Christ performed was a sign of His divinity. He 
was doing the very work that had been foretold of the Messiah; but to 
the Pharisees these works of mercy were a positive offense. The Jewish 
leaders looked with heartless indifference on human suffering. In many 
cases their selfishness and oppression had caused the affliction that Christ 
relieved. Thus His miracles were to them a reproach. 

That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour’s work, was the highest 
evidence of His divine character. The greatest significance of His 
miracles is seen in the fact that they were for the blessing of humanity. 
The highest evidence that He came from God is, that His life revealed 

1 Matt. 12 : 40, 41. 


THE TRUE SIGN. 


407 


the character of God. He did the works and spoke the words of 
God. Such a life is the greatest of all miracles. 

When the message of truth is presented in our day, there are many 
who, like the Jews, cry, “Show us a sign. Work us a miracle.” Christ 
wrought no miracle at the demand of the Pharisees. He wrought no 
miracle in the wilderness in answer to Satan’s insinuations. He does 
not impart to us power to vindicate ourselves or to satisfy the demands 
of unbelief and pride. But the gospel is not without a sign of its divine 
origin. Is it not a miracle that we can break from the bondage of 
Satan? Enmity against Satan is not natural to the human heart; it is 
implanted by the grace of God. When one who has been controlled 
by a stubborn, wayward will is set free, and yields himself wholeheartedly 
to the drawing of God’s heavenly agencies, a miracle is wrought; so also 
when a man who has been under strong delusion, comes to understand 
moral truth. Every time a soul is converted, and learns to love God 
and keep His commandments, the promise of God is fulfilled, “A new 
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you .” 1 
The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is 
a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. 
A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the 
word of God, the sign that should be manifest now and always, is 
the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the word a regenerating power 
to those that hear. This is God’s witness before the world to the divine 
mission of His Son. 

Those who desired a sign from Jesus had so hardened their hearts 
in unbelief that they did not discern in His character the likeness of 
God. They would not see that His mission was in fulfilment of the 
Scriptures. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus said to 
the Pharisees, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will 
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead .” 2 No sign that 
could be given in heaven or earth would benefit them. 

Jesus “sighed deeply in His spirit,” and, turning from the group of 
cavilers, re-entered the boat with His disciples. In sorrowful silence 
they again crossed the lake. They did not, however, return to the 
place they had left, but directed their course toward Bcthsaida, near 
where the five thousand had been fed. Upon reaching the farther side, 
Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of 
the Sadducees.” The Jews had been accustomed since the days of Moses 
to put away leaven from their houses at the Passover season, and they 
'Eze. 36:26. 2 Luke 16:31. 


4oS 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


had thus been taught to regard it as a type of sin. Yet the disciples 
failed to understand Jesus. In their sudden departure from Magdala 
they had forgotten to take bread, and they had with them only one loaf. 
To this circumstance they understood Christ to refer, warning them not 
to buy bread of a Pharisee or a Sadducee. Their lack of faith and 
spiritual insight had often led them to similar misconception of His 
words. Now Jesus reproved them for thinking that He who had fed 
thousands with a few fishes and barley loaves could in that solemn 
warning have referred merely to temporal food. There w r as danger that 
the crafty reasoning of the Pharisees and the Sadducees would leaven 
His disciples with unbelief, causing them to think lightly of the works 
of Christ. 

The disciples were inclined to think that their Master should have 
granted the demand for a sign in the heavens. They believed that He 
was fully able to do this, and that such a sign would put His enemies 
to silence. They did not discern the hypocrisy of these cavilers. 

Months afterward, “when there were gathered together an innumer¬ 
able multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another,” 
Jesus repeated the same teaching. “He began to say unto His disciples 
first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy .” 1 

The leaven placed in the meal works imperceptibly, changing the 
whole mass to its own nature. So if hypocrisy is allowed to exist in 
the heart, it permeates the character and the life. A striking example 
of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Christ had already rebuked in 
denouncing the practise of “Corban,” by which a neglect of filial duty 
was concealed under a pretense of liberality to the temple. The scribes 
and Pharisees were insinuating deceptive principles. They concealed the 
real tendency of their doctrines, and improved every occasion to instill 
them artfully into the minds of their hearers. These false principles, 
when once accepted, worked like leaven in the meal, permeating and 
transforming the character. It was this deceptive teaching that made it 
so hard for the people to receive the words of Christ. 

The same influences are working to-day through those who try to 
explain the law of God in such a way as to make it conform to their 
practises. This class do not attack the law openly, but put forward 
speculative theories that undermine its principles. They explain it so as 
to destroy its force. 

The hypocrisy of the Pharisees was the product of sell-seeking. The 
glorification of themselves was the object of their lives. It was this that 


1 Luke 12: i. 


THE TRUE SIGN. 


409 


led them to pervert and misapply the Scriptures, and blinded them to the 
purpose of Christ’s mission. This subtle evil even the disciples of Christ 
were in danger of cherishing. Those who classed themselves with the 
followers of Jesus, but who had not left all in order to become His 
disciples, were influenced in a great degree by the reasoning of the 
Pharisees. They were often vacillating between faith and unbelief, and 
they did not discern the treasures of wisdom hidden in Christ. Even 
the disciples, though outwardly they had left all for Jesus’ sake, had not 
in heart ceased to seek great things for themselves. It was this spirit 
that prompted the strife as to who should be greatest. It was this that 
came between them and Christ, making them so little in sympathy with 
His mission of self-sacrifice, so slow to comprehend the mystery of 
redemption. As leaven, if left to complete its work, will cause corruption 
and decay, so does the self-seeking spirit, cherished, work the defilement 
and ruin of the soul. 

Among the followers of our Lord to-day, as of old, how wide-spread 
is this subtle, deceptive sin. How often our service to Christ, our 
communion with one another, is marred by the secret desire to exalt 
self. How ready the thought of self-gratulation, and the longing for 
human approval. It is the love of self, the desire for an easier way than 
God has appointed, that leads to the substitution of human theories and 
traditions for the divine precepts. To His own disciples the warning 
words of Christ are spoken, “Take heed, and beware of the leaven of 
the Pharisees.” 

The religion of Christ is sincerity itself. Zeal for God’s glory is the 
motive implanted by the Holy Spirit; and only the effectual working of 
the Spirit can implant this motive. Only the power of God can banish 
self-seeking and hypocrisy. This change is the sign of His working. 
When the faith we accept destroys selfishness and pretense, when it 
leads us to seek God’s glory and not our own, we may know that 
it is of the right order. “Father, glorify Thy name,”' was the key-note 
of Christ’s life, and if we follow Him, this will be the key-note of our 
life. He commands us to “walk even as He walked;” and “hereby we 
do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments .” 2 

2 1 John 2:6, 3. 


1 John 12 : 28. 



CHAPTER FORTY-FIl/E- 



HE work of Christ on earth was hastening to a close. Before 
Him, in vivid outline, lay the scenes whither His feet were 
tending. Even before He took humanity upon Him, He 
saw the whole length of the path He must travel in order 
to save that which was lost. Every pang that rent His 
heart, every insult that was heaped upon His head, every privation that 
He was called to endure, was open to His view before He laid aside His 
crown and royal robe, and stepped down from the throne, to clothe 
His divinity with humanity. The path from the manger to Calvary was 
all before His eyes. He knew the anguish that would come upon Him. 
He knew it all, and yet He said, “Lo, I come; in the volume of the 
book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, 
Thy law is within My heart .” 1 

Ever before Him He saw the result of His mission. His earthly 
life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the prospect that 
He would not have all this travail for naught. By giving His life for 
the life of men, He would win back the world to its loyalty to God. 
Although the baptism of blood must first be received; although the sins 
of the world were to weigh upon His innocent soul; although the 
shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that 
was set before Him, He chose to endure the cross, and despised the 
shame. 

This chapter is based on Matt. 16:13-28; Mark 8: 27-38; Luke 9 :18-27. 

1 Ps. 40 : 7, 8. 


(410) 













THE FORESHADOWING OF THE CROSS. 411 

From the chosen companions of His ministry the scenes that lay 
before Him were as yet hidden; but the time was near when they must 
behold His agony. They must see Him whom they had loved and 
trusted, delivered into the hands of His enemies, and hung upon the 
cross of Calvary. Soon He must leave them to face the world without 
the comfort of His visible presence. He knew how bitter hate and 
unbelief would persecute them, and He desired to prepare them for 
their trials. 

Jesus and His disciples had now come into one of the towns about 
Caesarea Philippi. They were beyond the limits of Galilee, in a region 
where idolatry prevailed. Here the disciples were withdrawn from the 
controlling influence of Judaism, and brought into closer contact with 
the heathen worship. Around them were represented forms of super¬ 
stition that existed in all parts of the world. Jesus desired that a view 
of these things might lead them to feel their responsibility to the heathen. 
During His stay in this region, He endeavored to withdraw from teaching 
the people, and to devote Himself more fully to His disciples. 

He was about to tell them of the suffering that awaited Him. But 
first He went away alone, and prayed that their hearts might be prepared 
to receive His words. Upon joining them, He did not at once commu¬ 
nicate that which He desired to impart. Before doing this, He gave 
them an opportunity of confessing their faith in Him that they might 
be strengthened for the coming trial. He asked, “Whom do men say 
that I the Son of man am?” 

Sadly the disciples were forced to acknowledge that Israel had failed 
to recognize their Messiah. Some indeed, when they saw His miracles, 
had declared Him to be the Son of David. The multitudes that had 
been fed at Bethsaida had desired to proclaim Him king of Israel. 
Many were ready to accept Him as a prophet; but they did not believe 
Him to be the Messiah. 

Jesus now put a second question, relating to the disciples themselves: 
“But whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, 
the Son of the living God.” 

From the first, Peter had believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Many 
others who had been convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist, 
and had accepted Christ, began to doubt as to John’s mission when 
he was imprisoned and put to death; and they now doubted that Jesus 
was the Messiah, for whom they had looked so long. Many of the 
disciples who had ardently expected Jesus to take His place on David’s 
throne, left Him when they perceived that He had no such intention. 


412 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


But Peter and his companions turned not from their allegiance. The 
vacillating course of those who praised yesterday and condemned to-day 
did not destroy the faith of the true follower of the Saviour. Peter 
declared, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He waited 
not for kingly honors to crown his Lord, but accepted Him in His 
humiliation. 

Peter had expressed the faith of the twelve. Yet the disciples were 
still far from understanding Christ’s mission. The opposition and misrep¬ 
resentation of the priests and rulers, while it could not turn them away 
from Christ, still caused them great perplexity. They did not see their 
way clearly. The influence of their early training, the teaching of the 
rabbis, the power of tradition, still intercepted their view of truth. From 
time to time precious rays of light from Jesus shone upon them, yet 
often they were like men groping among shadows. But on this day, 
before they were brought face to face with the great trial of their faith, 
the Holy Spirit rested upon them in power. For a little time their 
eyes were turned away from “the things which are seen,” to behold 
“the things which are not seen .” 1 Beneath the guise of humanity they 
discerned the glory of the Son of God. 

Jesus answered Peter, saying, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for 
flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is 
in heaven.” 

The truth which Peter had confessed, is the foundation of the believer’s 
faith. It is that which Christ Himself has declared to be eternal life. 
But the possession of this knowledge was no ground for self-glorification. 
Through no wisdom or goodness of his own had it been revealed to 
Peter. Never can humanity, of itself, attain to a knowledge of the 
divine. “It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than 
hell; what canst thou know ?” 2 Only the spirit of adoption can reveal 
to us the deep things of God, which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man.” “God hath revealed them 
unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep 
things of God .” 3 “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him;” 
and the fact that Peter discerned the glory of Christ was an evidence 
that he had been “taught of God .” 4 Ah, indeed, “blessed art thou, 
Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee.” 

Jesus continued: “I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and 
upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it.” The word Peter signifies a stone, — a rolling stone. 

x 2 Cor. 4:18. 2 Job 11:8. 3 1 Cor. 2 : 9, 10. * Ps. 25:14; John 6: 45. 


THE FORESHADOWING OF THE CROSS. 


413 


Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded. The gates 
of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing 
and swearing. The church was built upon One against whom the gates 
of hell could not prevail. 



Centuries before the Saviour’s advent, Moses had pointed to the 
Rock of Israel’s salvation. The psalmist had sung of “the Rock of 
my strength.” Isaiah had written, “Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, 
I lay in Zion for a foundation a 
stone, a tried stone, a precious 
corner-stone, a sure founda¬ 
tion .” 1 Peter himself, writing 
by inspiration, applies this 
prophecy to Jesus. He says, 

“If ye have tasted that the 
Lord is gracious; unto whom 
coming, a living stone, rejected 
indeed of men, but with God 
elect, precious, ye also, as liv¬ 
ing stones, are built up a spirit¬ 
ual house .”' 2 

“Other foundation can no 
man lay than that is laid, which 
is Jesus Christ .” 3 “Upon this 
rock,” said Jesus, “I will build 
My church.” In the presence of 
God, and all the heavenly intel¬ 
ligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His 
church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself, — His own body, 
for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this founda¬ 
tion, the gates of hell shall not prevail. 

How feeble the church appeared when Christ spoke these words! 
There was only a handful of believers, against whom all the power of 
demons and evil men would be directed; yet the followers of Christ 
were not to fear. Built upon the Rock of their strength, they could 
not be overthrown. 

For six thousand years, faith has builded upon Christ. For six 
thousand years the floods and tempests of Satanic wrath have beaten 
upon the Rock of our salvation; but it stands unmoved. 

Peter had expressed the truth which is the foundation of the church’s 


’■Deut. 32:4; Ps. 62:7; Isa. 28:16. 2 i Peter 2:3-5, R. V. 3 i Cor. 3:11. 







4H 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


faith, and Jesus now honored him as the representative of the whole body 
of believers. He said, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; 
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

“The keys of the kingdom of heaven” are the words of Christ. All 
the words of Holy Scripture are His, and are here included. These 
words have power to open and to shut heaven. They declare the 
conditions upon which men are received or rejected. Thus the work 
of those who preach God’s word is a savor of life unto life or of death 
unto death. Theirs is a mission weighted with eternal results. 

The Saviour did not commit the work of the gospel to Peter indi¬ 
vidually. At a later time, repeating the words that were spoken to Peter, 
He applied them directly to the church. And the same in substance 
was spoken also to the twelve as representatives of the body of believers. 
If Jesus had delegated any special authority to one of the disciples above 
the others, we should not find them so often contending as to who should 
be the greatest. They would have submitted to the wish of their Master, 
and honored the one whom He had chosen. 

Instead of appointing one to be their head, Christ said to the disciples, 
“Be not ye called, Rabbi;” “neither be ye called masters; for one is 
your Master, even Christ .” 1 

“The head of every man is Christ.” God, who put all things under 
the Saviour’s feet, “gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, 
which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all .” 2 The 
church is built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its 
head. It is not to depend upon man, or be controlled by man. Many 
claim that a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate 
what other men shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God 
does not sanction. The Saviour declares, “All ye are brethren.” All 
are exposed to temptation, and are liable to error. Upon no finite being 
can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence 
of Christ in the church. Upon this the weakest may depend, and those 
who think themselves the strongest will prove to be the weakest, unless 
they make Christ their efficiency. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in 
man, and maketh flesh his arm.” The Lord “is the Rock, His work 
is perfect.” “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him .” 3 

After Peter’s confession, Jesus charged the disciples to tell no man 
that He was the Christ. This charge was given because of the determined 

1 Matt. 23:8, 10. 2 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22, 23. 

J Jer 17:5; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 2:12. 


THE FORESHADOWING OF THE CROSS. 


415 


opposition of the scribes and Pharisees. More than this, the people, and 
even the disciples, had so false a conception of the Messiah that a public 
announcement of Him would give them no true idea of His character 
or His work. But day by day He was revealing Himself to them as the 
Saviour, and thus He desired to give them a true conception of Him as 
the Messiah. 

The disciples still expected Christ to reign as a temporal prince. 
Although He had so long concealed His design, they believed that He 
would not always remain in poverty and obscurity; the time was near 
when He would establish His kingdom. That the hatred of the priests 
and rabbis would never be overcome, that Christ would be rejected by 
His own nation, condemned as a deceiver, and crucified as a malefactor, — 
such a thought the disciples had never entertained. But the hour of the 
power of darkness was drawing on, and Jesus must open to His disciples 
the conflict before them. He was sad as He anticipated the trial. 

Hitherto He had refrained from making known to them anything 
relative to His sufferings and death. In His conversation with Nicodemus 
He had said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so 
must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not perish, but have eternal life .” 1 But the disciples did not hear 
this, and had they heard, would not have understood. But now they 
have been with Jesus, listening to His words, beholding His works, until, 
notwithstanding the humility of His surroundings, and the opposition of 
priests and people, they can join in the testimony of Peter, “Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Now the time has come for the 
veil that hides the future to be withdrawn. “From that time forth began 
Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, 
and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be 
killed, and be raised again the third day.” 

Speechless with’ grief and amazement, the disciples listened. Christ 
had accepted Peter’s acknowledgment of Him as the Son of God; and 
now His words pointing to His suffering and death seemed incompre¬ 
hensible. Peter could not keep silent. He laid hold upon his Master, 
as if to draw Him back from His impending doom, exclaiming, “Be it 
far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee.” 

Peter loved his Lord; but Jesus did not commend him for thus 
manifesting the desire to shield Him from suffering. Peter’s words 
were not such as would be a help and solace to Jesus in the great 
trial before Him. They were not in harmony with God’s purpose of 

1 John 3 :14, 15. 


416 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


grace toward a lost world, nor with the lesson of self-sacrifice that 
Jesus had come to teach by His own example. Peter did not desire 
to see the cross in the work of Christ. The impression which his 
words would make, was directly opposed to that which Christ desired 
to make on the minds of His followers, and the Saviour was moved to 
utter one of the sternest rebukes that ever fell from His lips: “Get 
thee behind Me, Satan; thou art an offense unto Me; for thou savorest 
not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” 

Satan was trying to discourage Jesus, and turn Him from His 
mission; and Peter, in his blind love, was giving voice to the tempta¬ 
tion. The prince of evil was the author of the thought. His instigation 
was behind that impulsive appeal. In the wilderness, Satan had offered 
Christ the dominion of the world on condition of forsaking the path of 
humiliation and sacrifice. Now he was presenting the same temptation 
to the disciple of Christ. He was seeking to fix Peter’s gaze upon 
the earthly glory, that he might not behold the cross to which Jesus 
desired to turn his eyes. And through Peter, Satan was again pressing 
the temptation upon Jesus. But the Saviour heeded it not; His thought 
was for His disciple. Satan had interposed between Peter and his 

Master, that the heart of the disciple might not be touched at the 

vision of Christ’s humiliation for him. The words of Christ were 
spoken, not to Peter, but to the one who was trying to separate 

him from his Redeemer. “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” No longer 
interpose between Me and My erring servant. Let Me come face to 
face with Peter, that I may reveal to him the mystery of My love. 

It was to Peter a bitter lesson, and one which he learned but slowly, 
that the path of Christ on earth lay through agony and humiliation. The 
disciple shrank from fellowship with his Lord in suffering. But in the 
heat of the furnace fire he was to learn its blessing. Long afterward, 
when his active form was bowed with the burden of years and labors, 
he wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which 
is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but 
rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when 
His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy .” 1 

Jesus now explained to His disciples that His own life of self- 
abnegation was an example of what theirs should be. Calling about 
Him, with the disciples, the people who had been lingering near, He 
said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross daily, and follow Me.” The cross was associated with the 

1 1 Peter 4:12, 13. 


GENERAL VIEW OF DAMASCUS. THE GREAT MOSQUE. 











THE FORESHADOWING OF THE CROSS. 


417 


power of Rome. It was the instrument of the most cruel and humiliating 
form of death. The lowest criminals were required to bear the cross to 
the place of execution; and often as it was about to be laid upon their 
shoulders, they resisted with desperate violence, until they were over¬ 
powered, and the instrument of torture was bound upon them. But 
Jesus bade His followers take up the cross and bear it after Him. To 
the disciples His words, though dimly comprehended, pointed to their 
submission to the most bitter humiliation, — submission even unto death 
for the sake of Christ. No more complete self-surrender could the 
Saviour’s words have pictured. But all this He had accepted for them. 
Jesus did not count heaven a place to be desired while we were lost. 
He left the heavenly courts for a life of reproach and insult, and a 
death of shame. He who was rich in heaven’s priceless treasure, 
became poor, that through His poverty we might be rich. We are to 
follow in the path He trod. 

Love for souls for whom Christ died, means crucifixion of self. He 
who is a child of God should henceforth look upon himself as a link 
in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in His plan of 
mercy, going forth with Him to seek and save the lost. The Christian 
is ever to realize that he has consecrated himself to God, and that in 
character he is to reveal Christ to the world. The self-sacrifice, the 
sympathy, the love, manifested in the life of Christ, are to reappear in 
the life of the worker for God. 

“Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose 
his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” Selfishness 
is death. No organ of the body could live, should it confine its service to 
itself. The heart, failing to send its life-blood to the hand and the head, 
would quickly lose its power. As our life-blood, so is the love of Christ 
diffused through every part of His mystical body. We are members one 
of another, and the soul that refuses to impart will perish. And “what is 
a man profited,” said Jesus, “if he shall gain the whole world, and lose 
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” 

Beyond the poverty and humiliation of the present, He pointed the 
disciples to His comil g in glory, not in the splendor of an earthly 
throne, but with the glory of God and the hosts of heaven. And then, 
He said, “He shall reward every man according to His works.” Then 
for their encouragement He gave the promise, “Verily I say unto you, 
There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they 
see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.” But the disciples did not 
comprehend His words. The glory seemed far away. Their eyes were 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


418 


fixed upon the nearer view, the earthly life of poverty, humiliation, and 
suffering. Must their glowing expectations of the Messiah's kingdom be 
relinquished ? Were they not to see their Lord exalted to the throne 
of David? Could it be that Christ was to live, a humble, homeless 
wanderer, to be despised, rejected, and put to death ? Sadness oppressed 
their hearts, for they loved their Master. Doubt also harassed their 
minds, for it seemed incomprehensible that the Son of God should be 
subjected to such cruel humiliation. They questioned why He should 
voluntarily go to Jerusalem to meet the treatment which He had told 
them He was there to receive. How could He resign Himself to such 
a fate, and leave them in greater darkness than that in which they were 
groping before He revealed Himself to them ? 

In the region of Caesarea Philippi, Christ was out of the reach of 
Herod and Caiaphas, the disciples reasoned. He had nothing to fear 
from the hatred of the Jews or from the power of the Romans. Why 
not work there, at a distance from the Pharisees ? Why need He give 
Himself up to death ? If He was to die, how was it that His kingdom 
was to be established so firmly that the gates of hell should not prevail 
against it? To the disciples this was indeed a mystery. 

They were even now journeying along the shores of the Sea of 
Galilee toward the city where all their hopes were to be crushed. They 
dared not remonstrate with Christ, but they talked together in low, 
sorrowful tones in regard to what the future would be. Even amid their 
questionings they clung to the thought that some unforeseen circumstance 
might avert the doom which seemed to await their Lord. Thus they 
sorrowed and doubted, hoped and feared, for six long, gloomy days. 










CHAPTER FORTY-SIX. 



"VENING is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of 
His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them across 
the fields, and far up a rugged path, to a lonely mountain¬ 
side. The Saviour and His disciples have spent the day 
in traveling and teaching, and the mountain climb adds to 
their weariness. Christ has lifted burdens from mind and body of many 
sufferers; He has sent the thrill of life through their enfeebled frames; 
but He also is compassed with humanity, and with His disciples He is 
wearied with the ascent. 

The light of the setting sun still lingers on the mountain top, and gilds 
with its fading glory the path they are traveling. But soon the light dies 
out from hill as well as valley, the sun disappears behind the western 
horizon, and the solitary travelers are wrapped in the darkness of night. 
The gloom of their surroundings seems in harmony with their sorrowful 


lives, around which the clouds are gathering and thickening. 

The disciples do not venture to ask Christ whither He is going, or 
for what purpose. He has often spent entire nights in the mountains 
in prayer. He whose hand formed mountain and valley is at home with 
nature, and enjoys its quietude. The disciples follow where Christ leads 
the way; yet they wonder why their Master should lead them up this 
toilsome ascent when they are weary, and w T hen He too is in need 


of rest. 

Presently Christ tells them that they are now to go no farther. 
Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of sorrows pours out His 
This chapter is based on Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36. 

( 419 ) 











420 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to 
endure the test in behalf of humanity. He must himself gain a fresh 
hold on Omnipotence, for only thus can He contemplate the future, 
And He pours out His heart-longings for His disciples, that in the hour 
of the power of darkness their faith may not fail. The dew is heavy 
upon His bowed form, but He heeds it not. The shadows of night 
gather thickly about Him, but He regards not their gloom. So the 
hours pass slowly by. At first the disciples unite their prayers with His 
in sincere devotion; but after a time they are overcome with weariness, 



"Soon the light dies out 
from hill as Well as Valley, 
. . . and the solitary trav¬ 
elers are Wrapped in the 
darkness of night.” Page 
419 . 


and, even while trying to retain their interest in the scene, they fall 
asleep. Jesus has told them of His sufferings; He has taken them with 
Him that they might unite with Him in prayer; even now He is praying 
for them. The Saviour has seen the gloom of His disciples, and has 
longed to lighten their grief by an assurance that their faith has not 
been in vain. Not all, even of the twelve, can receive the revelation 
He desires to give. Only the three who are to witness His anguish in 
Gethsemane have been chosen to be with Him on the mount. Now 
the burden of His prayer is that they may be given a manifestation 
of the glory He had with the Father before the world was, that His 
kingdom may be revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples may 
be strengthened to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a 
manifestation of His divinity that will comfort them in the hour of 
His supreme agony with the knowledge that He is of a surety the 





HE WAS TRANSFIGURED. 


42 I 


Son of God, and that His shameful death is a part of the plan oi 
redemption. 

His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the 
stony ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the city 
of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, 
enshrouding the Saviour’s form. Divinity from within flashes through 
humanity, and meets the glory coming from above. Arising from His 
prostrate position, Christ stands in Godlike majesty. The soul-agony 
is gone. His countenance now shines “as the sun,” and His garments 
are “white as the light.” 

The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates 
the mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the radiant form 
of their Master. As they become able to endure the wondrous light, 
they see that Jesus is not alone. Beside Him are two heavenly beings, 
in close converse with Him. They are Moses, who upon Sinai had 
talked with God; and Elijah, to whom the high privilege was given — 
granted to but one other of the sons of Adam — never to come under 
the power of death. 

Upon Mount Pisgah fifteen centuries before, Moses had stood gazing 
upon the land of promise. But because of his sin at Meribah, it was not 
for him to enter there. Not for him was the joy of leading the host 
of Israel into the inheritance of their fathers. His agonized entreaty, “I 
pray Thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, 
that goodly mountain, and Lebanon ,” 1 was refused. The hope that for 
forty years had lighted up the darkness of the desert wanderings must 
be denied. A wilderness grave was the goal of those years of toil and 
heart-burdening care. But He who is “able to do exceeding abundantly 
above all that we ask or think ,” 2 had in this measure answered His 
servant’s prayer. Moses passed under the dominion of death, but he 
was not to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself called him forth to life. 
Satan the tempter had claimed the body of Moses because of his sin; 
but Christ the Saviour brought him forth from the grave . 3 

Moses upon the mount of transfiguration was a witness to Christ’s 
victory over sin and death. He represented those who shall come forth 
from the grave at the resurrection of the just. Elijah, who had been 
translated to heaven without seeing death, represented those who will 
be living upon the earth at Christ’s second coming, and who will be 
“changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump;” 
when “this mortal must put on immortality,” and “this corruptible must 

2 Eph. 3:20. 3 Jude 9. 


1 Deut. 3 : 25. 


422 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


put on incorruption .” 1 Jesus was clothed with the light of heaven, as 
He will appear when He shall come “the second time without sin unto 
salvation.” For He will come “in the glory of His Father with the 
holy angels .” 2 The Saviour’s promise to the disciples was now fulfilled. 
Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in minia¬ 
ture,— Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and 
Elijah of the translated ones. 

The disciples do not yet comprehend the scene; but they rejoice 
that the patient Teacher, the meek and lowly One, who has wandered 
to and fro a helpless stranger, is honored by the favored ones of heaven. 
They believe that Elijah has come to announce the Messiah’s reign, and 
that the kingdom of Christ is about to be set up on the earth. The 
memory of their fear and disappointment they would banish forever. 
Here, where the glory of God is revealed, they long to tarry. Peter 
exclaims, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three 
tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” The 
disciples are confident that Moses and Elijah have been sent to protect 
their Master, and to establish His authority as king. 

But before the crown must come the cross. Not the inauguration 
of Christ as king, but the decease to be accomplished at Jerusalem, is 
the subject of their conference with Jesus. Bearing the weakness of 
humanity, and burdened with its sorrow and sin, Jesus walked alone in 
the midst of men. As the darkness of the coming trial pressed upon 
Him, He was in loneliness of spirit, in a world that knew Him not. 
Even His loved disciples, absorbed in their own doubt and sorrow and 
ambitious hopes, had not comprehended the mystery of His mission. 
He had dwelt amid the love and fellowship of heaven; but in the world 
that He had created, He was in solitude. Now heaven had sent its 
messengers to Jesus; not angels, but men who had endured suffering 
and sorrow, and who could sympathize with the Saviour in the trial of 
His earthly life. Moses and Elijah had been co-laborers with Christ. 
They had shared His longing for the salvation of men. Moses had 
pleaded for Israel: “Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin; — and if 
not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written .” 3 
Elijah had known loneliness of spirit, as for three years and a half of 
famine he had borne the burden of the nation’s hatred and its woe. 
Alone he had stood for God upon Mount Carmel. Alone he had fled 
to the desert in anguish and despair. These men, chosen above every 
angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus concerning 
G Cor. 15:51-53- 2 Heb. 9:28; Mark 8:38. 3 Ex. 32:32. 











. 

















. 









































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Copyright, 1898, by Pacific Press Publishing Co. 

THE TRANSFIGURATION. 


“Jesus was clothed with the light of heaven, 
as He will appear when He shall come the 
second time without sin unto salvation.” 




HE WAS TRANSFIGURED. 


425 


the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance 
of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of the world, the salvation of 
every human being, was the burden of their interview. 

Through being overcome with sleep, the disciples heard little of what 
passed between Christ and the heavenly messengers. Failing to watch 
and pray, they had not received that which God desired to give them,— 
a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
They lost the blessing that might have been theirs through sharing His 
self-sacrifice. Slow of heart to believe were these disciples, little appre¬ 
ciative of the treasure with which Heaven sought to enrich them. 

Yet they received great light. They were assured that all heaven 
knew of the sin of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ. They were 
given a clearer insight into the work of the Redeemer. They saw with 
their eyes and heard with their ears things that were beyond the compre¬ 
hension of man. They were “eye-witnesses of His majesty ,” 1 and they 
realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, to whom patriarchs and 
prophets had witnessed, and that He was recognized as such by the 
heavenly universe. 

While they were still gazing on the scene upon the mount, “a bright 
cloud overshadowed them; and behold a voice out of the cloud, which 
said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye 
Him.” As they beheld the cloud of glory, brighter than that which 
went before the tribes of Israel in the wilderness; as they heard the 
voice of God speak in awful majesty that caused the mountain to tremble, 
the disciples fell smitten to the earth. They remained prostrate, their 
faces hidden, till Jesus came near, and touched them, dispelling their 
fears with His well-known voice, “Arise, and be not afraid.” Venturing 
to lift up their eyes, they saw that the heavenly glory had passed away, 
the forms of Moses and Elijah had disappeared. They were upon the 
mount, alone with Jesus. 

1 2 Peter 1:16. 





CHAPTER FORTY-SEUEN. 

HE entire night had been passed in the mountain; and as the 
sun arose, Jesus and His disciples descended to the plain. 
Absorbed in thought, the disciples were awed and silent. 
Even Peter had not a word to say. Gladly would they 
have lingered in that holy place which had been touched 
with the light of heaven, and where the Son of God had manifested His 
glory; but there was work to be done for the people, who were already 
searching far and near for Jesus. 

At the foot of the mountain a large company had gathered, led hither 
by the disciples who had remained behind, but who knew whither Jesus 
had resorted. As the Saviour drew near, He charged His three com¬ 
panions to keep silence concerning what they had witnessed, saying, “Tell 
the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” 
The revelation made to the disciples was to be pondered in their own 
hearts, not to be published abroad. To relate it to the multitudes would 
excite only ridicule or idle wonder And even the nine apostles would not 
understand the scene until after Christ had risen from the dead. How 
slow of comprehension even the three favored disciples were, is seen in 
the fact that notwithstanding all that Christ had said of what was before 
Him, they queried among themselves what the rising from the dead 
should mean. Yet they asked no explanation from Jesus. His words 
in regard to the future had filled them with sorrow; they sought no 
further revelation concerning that which they were fain to believe might 
never come to pass. 

As the people on the plain caught sight of Jesus, they ran to meet 
Him, greeting Him with expressions of reverence and joy. Yet His 
This chapter is based on Matt. 17:9-21; Mark 9:9-29; Luke 9:37-45. 

(426) 

























MINISTRY. 


427 

quick eye discerned that they were in great perplexity. The disciples 
appeared troubled. A circumstance had just occurred that had caused 
them bitter disappointment and humiliation. 

While they were waiting at the foot of the mountain, a father had 
brought to them his son, to be delivered from a dumb spirit that tormented 
him. Authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, had been conferred 
on the disciples when Jesus sent out the twelve to preach through Galilee. 
As they went forth strong in faith, the evil spirits had obeyed their word. 
Now in the name of Christ they commanded the torturing spirit to leave 
his victim; but the demon only mocked them by a fresh display of his 
power. The disciples, unable to account for their defeat, felt that they 
were bringing dishonor upon themselves and their Master. And in the 
crowd there were scribes who made the most of this opportunity to 
humiliate them. Pressing around the disciples, they plied them with ques¬ 
tions, seeking to prove that they and their Master were deceivers. Here, 
the rabbis triumphantly declared, was an evil spirit that neither the disciples 
nor Christ Himself could conquer. The people were inclined to side 
with the scribes, and a feeling of contempt and scorn pervaded the crowd. 

But suddenly the accusations ceased. Jesus and the three disciples 
were seen approaching, and with a quick revulsion of feeling the people 
turned to meet them. The night of communion with the heavenly glory 
had left its trace upon the Saviour and His companions. Upon their 
countenances was a light that awed the beholders. The scribes drew 
back in fear, while the people welcomed Jesus. 

As if He had been a witness of all that had occurred, the Saviour 
came to the scene of conflict, and fixing His gaze on the scribes inquired, 
“What question ye with them?” 

But the voices so bold and defiant before, were now silent. A hush 
had fallen upon the entire company. Now the afflicted father made his 
way through the crowd, and falling at the feet of Jesus, poured out the 
story of his trouble and disappointment. 

“Master,” he said, “I have brought unto Thee my son, which hath 
a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: 
and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they 
could not.” 

Jesus looked about Him upon the awe-stricken multitude, the caviling 
scribes, the perplexed disciples. He read the unbelief in every heart; 
and in a voice filled with sorrow He exclaimed, “O faithless generation, 
how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I suffer you ?” Then He 
bade the distressed father, “Bring thy son hither.” ^ 


26 


428 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


The boy was brought, and as the Saviour’s eyes fell upon him, the 
evil spirit cast him to the ground in convulsions of agony. He lay 
wallowing and foaming, rending the air with unearthly shrieks. 

Again the Prince of life and the prince of the powers of darkness 
had met on the field of battle, — Christ in fulfilment of His mission to 
“preach deliverance to the captives, ... to set at liberty them that 
are bruised ,” 1 Satan seeking to hold his victim under his control. Angels 
of light and the hosts of evil angels, unseen, were pressing near to behold 
the conflict. For a moment, Jesus permitted the evil spirit to display 
his power, that the beholders might comprehend the deliverance about 
to be wrought. 

The multitude looked on with bated breath, the father in an agony 
of hope and fear. Jesus asked, “How long is it ago since this came 
unto him?” The father told the story of long years of suffering, and 
then, as if he could endure no more, exclaimed, “If Thou canst do 
anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” “If Thou canst!” 
Even now the father questioned the power of Christ. 

Jesus answers, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him 
that believeth.” There is no lack of power on the part of Christ; the 
healing of the son depends upon the father’s faith. With a burst of 
tears, realizing his own weakness, the father casts himself upon Christ’s 
mercy, with the cry, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” 

Jesus turns to the suffering one, and says, “Thou dumb and deaf 
spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” 
There is a cry, an agonized struggle. The demon, in passing, seems 
about to rend the life from his victim. Then the boy lies motionless, 
and apparently lifeless. The multitude whisper, “He is dead.” But 
Jesus takes him by the hand, and lifting him up, presents him, in perfect 
soundness of mind and body, to his father. Father and son praise 
the name of their deliverer. The multitude are “amazed at the mighty 
power of God,” while the scribes, defeated and crestfallen, turn sullenly 
away. 

“If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” 
How many a sin-burdened soul has echoed that prayer. And to all, 
the pitying Saviour’s answer is, “If thou canst believe, all things are 
possible to him that believeth.” It is faith that connects us with heaven, 
and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In 
Christ, God has provided means for subduing every sinful trait, and 
resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they 

1 Luke 4:18. 


MINISTRY. 



429 

lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these 
souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy 
of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He 
who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among 

men, is the same 


“desus takes him by the hand, and lifting him up, presents him, in perfect soundness 
of mind and body, to his father.” 

Then grasp His promise, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise 
cast out .” 1 Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, “Lord, I believe; 
help Thou mine unbelief.” You can never perish while you do this 
— never. 

In a brief space of time the favored disciples have beheld the extreme 
of glory and of humiliation. They have seen humanity as transfigured 
into the image of God, and as debased into the likeness of Satan. From 
the mountain where He has talked with the heavenly messengers, and 
has been proclaimed the Son of God by the voice from the radiant 
glory they have seen Jesus descend to meet that most distressing and 

'John 6:37. 







430 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


revolting spectacle, the maniac boy, with distorted countenance, gnashing 
his teeth in spasms of agony that no human power could relieve. And 

this mighty Redeemer, Avho but a few hours before stood glorified before 

His wondering disciples, stoops to lift the victim of Satan from the earth 
where he is wallowing, and in health of mind and body restores him to 
his father and his home. 

It was an object-lesson of redemption, — the Divine One from the 
Father’s glory stooping to save the lost. It represented also the disciples’ 
mission. Not alone upon the mountain top with Jesus, in hours of 
spiritual illumination, is the life of Christ’s servants to be spent. There 
is work for them down in the plain. Souls whom Satan has enslaved, 

are waiting for the word of faith and prayer to set them free. 

The nine disciples were yet pondering upon the bitter fact of their 
own failure; and when Jesus was once more alone with them, they 
questioned, “Why could not we cast him out?” Jesus answered them, 
“Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith 
as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove 
hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impos¬ 
sible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and 
fasting.” Their unbelief, that shut them out from deeper sympathy with 
Christ, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred work 
committed to them, had caused their failure in the conflict with the 
powers of darkness. 

The words of Christ pointing to His death, had brought sadness and 
doubt. And the selection of the three disciples to accompany Jesus 
to the mountain had excited the jealousy of the nine. Instead of 
strengthening their faith by prayer and meditation on the words of Christ, 
they had been dwelling on their discouragements and personal grievances. 
In this state of darkness they had undertaken the conflict with Satan. 

In order to succeed in such a conflict they must come to the work in 
a different spirit. Their faith must be strengthened by fervent prayer and 
fasting, and humiliation of heart. They must be emptied of self, and be 
filled with the Spirit and power of God. Earnest, persevering supplication 
to God in faith, — faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and 
unreserved consecration to His work, — can alone avail to bring men 
the Holy Spirit’s aid in the battle against principalities and powers, the 
rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places. 

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,” said Jesus, “ye 
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and 
it shall remove.” Though the grain of mustard seed is so small, it 


MINISTRY. 


431 


contains that same mysterious life-principle which produces growth in the 
loftiest tree. When the mustard seed is cast into the ground, the tiny 
germ lays hold of every element that God has provided for its nutriment, 
and it speedily develops a sturdy growth. If you have faith like this, 
you will lay hold upon God’s word, and upon all the helpful agencies 
He has appointed. Thus your faith will strengthen, and will bring to 
your aid the power of heaven. The obstacles that are piled by Satan 
across your path, though apparently as insurmountable as the eternal 
hills, shall disappear before the demand of faith. “Nothing shall be 
impossible unto you.” 





CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT. 

returning to Capernaum, Jesus did not repair to the well- 
known resorts where He had taught the people, but with 
His disciples quietly sought the house that was to be His 
temporary home. During the remainder of His stay in 
Galilee it was His object to instruct the disciples rather 
than to labor for the multitudes. 

On the journey through Galilee, Christ had again tried to prepare 
the minds of His disciples for the scenes before Him. He told them 
that He was to go up to Jerusalem to be put to death and to rise 
again. And He added the strange and solemn announcement that He 
was to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. The disciples did 
not even now comprehend His words. Although the shadow of a great 
sorrow fell upon them, a spirit of rivalry found a place in their hearts. 
They disputed among themselves which should be accounted greatest in 
the kingdom. This strife they thought to conceal from Jesus, and they 
did not, as usual, press close to His side, but loitered behind, so that 
He was in advance of them as they entered Capernaum. Jesus read 
their thoughts, and He longed to counsel and instruct them. But for 
this He awaited a quiet hour, when their hearts should be open to 
receive His words. 

Soon after they reached the town, the collector of the temple revenue 
came to Peter with the question, “Doth not your Master pay tribute?” 
This tribute was not a civil tax, but a religious contribution, which every 
Jew was required to pay annually for the support of the temple.. A 
refusal to pay the tribute would be regarded as disloyalty to the temple,— 
This chapter is based on Matt. 17:22-27; 18:1-20; Mark 9:30-50; Luke 9:46-48. 

( 432 ) 





















WHO IS THE GREATEST? 


433 


in the estimation of the rabbis a most grievous sin. The Saviour’s 
attitude toward the rabbinical laws, and His plain reproofs to the defenders 
of tradition, afforded a pretext for the charge that He was seeking to 
overthrow the temple service. Now His enemies saw an opportunity 
of casting discredit upon Him. In the collector of the tribute they 
found a ready ally. 

Peter saw in the collector’s question an insinuation touching Christ’s 
loyalty to the temple. Zealous for his Master’s honor, he hastily 
answered, without consulting Him, that Jesus would pay the tribute. 

But Peter only partially comprehended the purpose of his questioner. 
There were some classes who were held to be exempt from the payment 
of the tribute. In the time of Moses, when the Levites were set apart 
for the service of the sanctuary, they were given no inheritance among 
the people. The Lord said, “Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his 
brethren; the Lord is his inheritance .” 1 In the days of Christ the priests 
and Levites were still regarded as especially devoted to the temple, and 
were not required to make the annual contribution for its support. 
Prophets also were exempted from this payment. In requiring the 
tribute from Jesus, the rabbis were setting aside His claim as a prophet 
or teacher, and were dealing with Him as with any commonplace 
person. A refusal on His part to pay the tribute would be represented 
as disloyalty to the temple; while, on the other hand, the payment of it 
would be taken as justifying their rejection of Him as a prophet. 

Only a little before, Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Son of 
God; but he now missed an opportunity of setting forth the character 
of his Master. By his answer to the collector, that Jesus would pay the 
tribute, he had virtually sanctioned the false conception of Him to which 
the priests and rulers were trying to give currency. 

When Peter entered the house, the Saviour made no reference to 
what had taken place, but inquired, “What thinkest thou, Simon? of 
whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own 
children, or of strangers?” Peter answered, “Of strangers.” And Jesus 
said, “Then are the children free.” While the people of a country are 
taxed for the maintenance of their king, the monarch’s own children 
are exempt. So Israel, the professed people of God, were required 
to maintain His service; but Jesus, the Son of God, was under no 
such obligation. If priests and Levites were exempt because of their 
connection with the temple, how much more He to whom the temple 
was His Father’s house. 


'Deut. 10:9. 


434 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


If Jesus had paid the tribute without a protest, He would virtually 
have acknowledged the justice of the claim, and would thus have denied 
His divinity. But while He saw good to meet the demand, He denied 
the claim upon which it was based. In providing for the payment of the 
tribute He gave evidence of His divine character. It was made manifest 
that He was one with God, and therefore was not under tribute as a 
mere subject of the kingdom. 

“Go thou to the sea,’’ He directed Peter, “and cast an hook, and 
take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his 

mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: 
that take, and give unto them for Me 
and thee.” 

Though He had clothed His divinity 
with humanity, in this miracle He re¬ 
vealed His glory. It was evident that 
this was He who through David had 
declared, “Every beast of the forest is 
Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand 
hills. I know all the fowls of the 
mountains; and the wild beasts of the 
field are Mine. If I were hungry, I 
would not tell thee; for the world is 
Mine, and the fulness thereof .” 1 

While Jesus made it plain that He 
was under no obligation to pay the 
tribute, He entered into no controversy 

with the Jews in regard to the matter; 

“ When thou hast opened his mouth, r , , , . . , TT . 

thou shalt find a piece of money.” for the y would have misinterpreted His 

words, and turned them against Him. 
Lest He should give offense by withholding the tribute, He did that 
which He could not justly be required to do. This lesson would be of 
great value to His disciples. Marked changes were soon to take place 
in their relation to the temple sendee, and Christ taught them not to 
place themselves needlessly in antagonism to established order. So far 
as possible, they were to avoid giving occasion for misinterpretation of 
their faith. While Christians are not to sacrifice one principle of truth, 
they should avoid controversy whenever it is possible to do so. 

When Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter 
was gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, “What 

'Ps. 50:10-12. 










WHO IS THE GREATEST? 


435 


was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?” The presence 
of Jesus, and His question, put the matter in an entirely different light 
from that in which it had appeared to them while they were contending 
by the way. Shame and self-condemnation kept them silent. Jesus had 
told them that He was to die for their sake, and their selfish ambition 
was in painful contrast to His unselfish love. 

When Jesus told them that He was to be put to death and to 
rise again, He was trying to draw them into conversation in regard 
to the great test of their faith. Had they been ready to receive what 
He desired to make known to them, they would have been saved bitter 
anguish and despair. His words would have brought consolation in the 
hour of bereavement and disappointment. But although He had spoken 
so plainly of what awaited Him, His mention of the fact that He was 
soon to go to Jerusalem, again kindled their hope that the kingdom 
was about to be set up. This had led to questioning as to who should 
fill the highest offices. On Peter’s return from the sea, the disciples 
told him of the Saviour’s question, and at last one ventured to ask Jesus, 
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

The Saviour gathered His disciples about Him, and said to them, 
“If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant 
of all.” There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which 
the disciples were far from comprehending. That which Christ discerned, 
they could not see. They did not understand the nature of Christ’s 
kingdom, and this ignorance was the apparent cause of their contention. 
But the real cause lay deeper. By explaining the nature of the kingdom, 
Christ might for the time have quelled their strife; but this would not have 
touched the underlying cause. Even after they had received the fullest 
knowledge, any question of precedence might have renewed the trouble. 
Thus disaster would have been brought to the church after Christ’s 
departure. The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that 
same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the 
worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die. There 
rose up before Him a vision of Lucifer, the “son of the morning,” in 
glory surpassing all the angels that surround the throne, and united 
in closest ties to the Son of God. Lucifer had said, “I will be like the 
Most High ;” 1 and the desire for self-exaltation had brought strife into 
the heavenly courts, and had banished a multitude of the hosts of God. 
Had Lucifer really desired to be like the Most High, he would never 
have deserted his appointed place in heaven; for the spirit of the Most 

1 Isa. 14:12, 14. 


436 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


High is manifested in unselfish ministry. > Lucifer desired God's power, 
but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and 
every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. Thus alien¬ 
ation, discord, and strife will be inevitable. Dominion becomes the prize 
of the strongest. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every 
individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own 
advancement, or a stepping-stone on which he himself may climb to a 
higher place. 

While Lucifer counted it a thing to be grasped to be equal with God, 
Christ, the Exalted One, “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon 
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And 
being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became 
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross .” 1 Now the cross was 
iust before Him; and His own disciples were so filled with self-seeking — 
the very principle of Satan’s kingdom — that they could not enter into 
sympathy with their Lord, or even understand Him as He spoke of 
His humiliation for them. 

Very tenderly, yet with solemn emphasis, Jesus tried to correct the 
evil. He showed what is the principle that bears sway in the kingdom 
of heaven, and in what true greatness consists, as estimated by the 
standard of the courts above. Those who were actuated by pride and 
love of distinction, were thinking of themselves, and of the rewards they 
were to have, rather than how they were to render back to God the 
gifts they had received. They would have no place in the kingdom 
of heaven, for they were identified with the ranks of Satan. 

Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven 
chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before 
God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. 
The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not 
to exalt self, but to save souls. He who feels most deeply his need of 
divine aid will plead for it; and the Holy Spirit will give unto him glimpses 
of Jesus that will strengthen and uplift the soul. From communion with 
Christ he will go forth to work for those who are perishing in their sins. 
He is anointed for his mission; and he succeeds where many of the learned 
and intellectually wise would fail. 

But when men exalt themselves, feeling that they are a necessity for 
the success of God’s great plan, the Lord causes them to be set aside. 
It is made evident that the Lord is not dependent upon them. The work 
does not stop because of their removal from it, but goes forward with 
greater power. 


1 Phil. 2 : 7 , 8 . 


WHO IS THE GREATEST? 


437 


It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to 
the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart 
that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little 
child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding 
the little one in His arms He said, “Except ye be converted, and become 
as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The 
simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child 
are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of 
real greatness. 

Again Jesus explained to the disciples that His kingdom is not char¬ 
acterized by earthly dignity and display. At the feet of Jesus all these 
distinctions are forgotten. The rich and the poor, the learned and the 
ignorant, meet together, with no thought of caste or worldly pre-eminence. 
All meet as blood-bought souls, alike dependent upon One who has 
redeemed them to God. 

The sincere,- contrite soul is precious in the sight of God. He 
places His own signet upon men, not by their rank, not by their wealth, 
not by their intellectual greatness, but by their oneness with Christ. The 
Lord of glory is satisfied with those who are meek and lowly in heart. 
“Thou hast also given me,” said David, “the shield of Thy salvation: 

. . . and Thy gentleness”—as an element in the human character — 

“hath made me great .” 1 

“Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name,” said 
Jesus, “receiveth Me. And whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not 
Me, but Him that sent Me.” “Thus saith the Lord: The heaven is My 
throne, and the earth is My footstool; . . . but to this man will I 

look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at 
My word .” 2 

The Saviour’s words awakened in the disciples a feeling of self-distrust. 
No one had been specially pointed out in the reply; but John was led 
to question whether in one case his action had been right. With the 
spirit of a child he laid the matter before Jesus. “Master,” he said, 
“we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us, 
and we forbade him, because he followeth not us.” 

James and John had thought that in checking this man they had 
had in view their Lord’s honor; they began to see that they were 
jealous for their own. They acknowledged their error, and accepted the 
reproof of Jesus, “Forbid him not; for there is no man which shall do a 
miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me.” None who 
1 Ps. 18:35. 2 I sa - 66:1, 2. 


438 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


showed themselves in any way friendly to Christ were to be repulsed. 
There were many who had been deeply moved by the character and the 
work of Christ, and whose hearts were opening to Him in faith; and 
the disciples, who could not read motives, must be careful not to 
discourage these souls. When Jesus was no longer personally among 
them, and the work was left in their hands, they must not indulge a 
narrow, exclusive spirit, but manifest the same far-reaching sympathy 
which they had seen in their Master. 

The fact that one does not in all things conform to our personal 
ideas or opinions, will not justify us in forbidding him to labor for God. 
Christ is the great Teacher; we are not to judge or to command, but in 
humility each is to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. Every 
soul whom God has made willing, is a channel through which Christ will 
reveal His pardoning love. How careful we should be lest we discourage 
one of God’s light-bearers, and thus intercept the rays that He would 
have shine to the world. 

Harshness or coldness shown by a disciple toward one whom Christ 
was drawing, — such an act as that of John in forbidding one to work 
miracles in Christ’s name,— might result in turning the feet into the path 
of the enemy, and causing the loss of a soul. Rather than for one 
to do this, said Jesus, “It is better for him that a millstone were hanged 
about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” And He added, “If 
thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter 
into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into 
the unquenchable fire. And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut 
it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy 
two feet to be cast into hell .” 1 

Why this earnest language, than which none can be stronger?— 
Because “the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Shall 
His disciples show less regard for the souls of their fellow-men than the 
Majesty of heaven has shown ? Every soul has cost an infinite price, 
and how terrible is the sin of turning one soul away from Christ, so 
that for him the Saviour’s love and humiliation and agony shall have 
been in vain. 

“Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must 
needs be that the occasions come.” 1 The world, inspired by Satan, will 
surely oppose the followers of Christ, and seek to destroy their faith; 
but woe to him who has taken Christ’s name, and yet is found doing 
this work. Our Lord is put to shame by those who claim to serve 


>R. V. 


WHO IS THE GREATEST? 


439 


Him, but who misrepresent His character; and multitudes are deceived, 
and led into false paths. 

Any habit or practise that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor 
upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice. That 
which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul. The blessing of heaven 
cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. And 
one sin cherished is sufficient to work the degradation of the character, 
and to mislead others. If the foot or the hand would be cut off, or 
even the eye would be plucked out, to save the body from death, how 
much more earnest should we be to put away sin, that brings death to 
the soul. 

In the ritual service, salt was added to every sacrifice. This, like 
the offering of incense, signified that only the righteousness of Christ 
could make the service acceptable to God. Referring to this practise, 
Jesus said, “Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” “Have salt in 
yourselves, and have peace one with another.” All who would present 
themselves “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God ,” 1 must receive 
the saving salt, the righteousness of our Saviour. Then they become 
“the salt of the earth ,” 2 restraining evil among men, as salt preserves 
from corruption. But if the salt has lost its savor; if there is only a 
profession of godliness, without the love of Christ, there is no power 
for good. The life can exert no saving influence upon the world. Your 
energy and efficiency in the upbuilding of My kingdom, Jesus says, 
depend upon your receiving of My Spirit. You must be partakers of 
My grace, in order to be a savor of life unto life. Then there will be no 
rivalry, no self-seeking, no desire for the highest place. You will have 
that love which seeks not her own, but another’s wealth. 

Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon “the Lamb of God, which 
taketh away the sin of the world;” and by beholding, he becomes 
changed. His fear is turned to joy, his doubts to hope. Gratitude 
springs up. The stony heart is broken. A tide of love sweeps into the 
soul. Christ is in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. 
When we see Jesus, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, working 
to save the lost, slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city to city till 
His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in Gethsemane, 
sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in agony, — when 
we see this, self will no longer clamor to be recognized. Looking unto 
Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our coldness, our lethargy, our self-seeking. 
We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so that we may do heart - 

2 Matt. 5:13. 


1 Rom. 12:1. 


440 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, 
to endure trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake. 

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, 
and not to please ourselves .” 1 No soul who believes in Christ, though 
his faith may be weak, and his steps wavering as those of a little child, 
is to be lightly esteemed. By all that has given us advantage over 
another, — be it education and refinement, nobility of character, Christian 
training, religious experience,—we are in debt to those less favored; 
and, so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we 
are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the weak. Angels of glory, 
that do always behold the face of the Father in heaven, joy in minis¬ 
tering to His little ones. Trembling souls, who have many objectionable 
traits of character, are their special charge. Angels are ever present 
where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle 
with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging. 
And in this ministry Christ’s true followers will co-operate. 

If one of these little ones shall be overcome, and commit a wrong 
against you, then it is your work to seek his restoration. Do not wait 
for him to make the first effort for reconciliation. “How think ye?” 
said Jesus; “if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be 
gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the 
mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that 
he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, 
than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not 
the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones 
should perish.” 

In the spirit of meekness, “considering thyself, lest thou also be 
tempted ,” 2 go to the erring one, and “tell him his fault between thee 
and him alone.” Do not put him to shame by exposing his fault 
to others, nor bring dishonor upon Christ by making public the sin or 
error of one who bears His name. Often the truth must be plainly 
spoken to the erring; he must be led to see his error, that he may 
reform. But you are not to judge or to condemn. Make no attempt 
at self-justification. Let all your effort be for his recovery. In treating 
the wounds of the soul, there is need of the most delicate touch, the 
finest sensibility. Only the love that flows from the suffering One of 
Calvary can avail here. With pitying tenderness, let brother deal with 
brother, knowing that if you succeed, you will “save a soul from death,” 
and “hide a multitude of sins .” 3 

1 Rom. 15:1 2 Gal. 6:1. 3 James 5: 20. 


WHO IS THE GREATEST? 


441 


But even this effort may be unavailing. Then, said Jesus, “take 
with thee one or two more.” It may be that their united influence will 
prevail where that of the first was unsuccessful. Not being parties to 
the trouble, they will be more likely to act impartially, and this fact will 
give their counsel greater weight with the erring one. 

If he will not hear them, then, and not till then, the matter is to 
be brought before the whole body of believers. Let the members of 
the church, as the representatives of Christ, unite in prayer and loving 
entreaty that the offender may be restored. The Holy Spirit will speak 
through His servants, pleading with the wanderer to return to God. 
Paul the apostle, speaking by inspiration, says, “As though God did 
beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to 
God .” 1 He who rejects this united overture, has broken the tie that 
binds him to Christ, and thus has severed himself from the fellowship 
of the church. Henceforth, said Jesus, “let him be unto thee as an 
heathen man and a publican.” But he is not to be regarded as cut 
off from the mercy of God. Let him not be despised or neglected 
by his former brethren, but be treated with tenderness and compassion, 
as one of the lost sheep that Christ is still seeking to bring to His fold. 

Christ’s instruction as to the treatment of the erring repeats in more 
specific form the teaching given to Israel through Moses: “Thou shalt 
not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy 
neighbor, that thou bear not sin for him .” 2 That is, if one neglects 
the duty Christ has enjoined, of trying to restore those who are in 
error and sin, he becomes a partaker in the sin. For evils that we 
might have checked, we are just as responsible as if we were guilty 
of the acts ourselves. 

But it is to the wrong-doer himself that we are to present the 
wrong. We are not to make it a matter of comment and criticism 
among ourselves; nor even after it is told to the church, are we at 
liberty to repeat it to others. A knowledge of the faults of Christians 
will be only a cause of stumbling to the unbelieving world; and by 
dwelling upon these things, we ourselves can receive only harm; for 
it is by beholding that we become changed. While we seek to correct 
the errors of a brother, the Spirit of Christ will lead us to shield 
him, as far as possible, from the criticism of even his own brethren, 
and how much more from the censure of the unbelieving world. We 
ourselves are erring, and need Christ’s pity and forgiveness, and just 
as we wish Him to deal with us, He bids us deal with one another. 

2 Lev. 19: 17, margin. 


1 2 Cor. 5 : 20. 


442 


THE DESIRE OF AGES. 


“Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and 
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” You are 
acting as the ambassadors of heaven, and the issues of your work are for 
eternity. 

But we are not to bear this great responsibility alone. Wherever 
His word is obeyed with a sincere heart, there Christ abides. Not 
only is He present in the assemblies of the church, but wherever 
disciples, however few, meet in His name, there also He will be. And 
He says, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything 
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which 
is in heaven.” 

Jesus says, “My Father which is in heaven,” as reminding His 
disciples that while by His humanity He is linked with them, a sharer 
in their trials, and sympathizing with them in their sufferings, by His 
divinity He is connected with the throne of the Infinite. Wonderful 
assurance! The heavenly intelligences unite with men in sympathy and 
labor for the saving of that which was lost. And all the power of heaven 
is brought to combine with human ability in drawing souls to Christ. 



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